Will Grier spent seven years in the NFL, but he played only two games. He’s worn the uniforms of six different teams in his career, and faced uncertainty at every step of the way. Grier soldiered on when nobody expected him to. However, a day had to come when the quarterback thought it was enough.
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That day was July 15, 2026. Will Grier hung up his cleats at 31 years old, after participating in the Carolina Panthers’ offseason workouts. He announced the news on his Instagram.
Even though Grier didn’t get to play a whole lot, he did build some solid relationships in this journey. One of them was with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, with whom he spent four total seasons. Prescott took to Instagram to send off his former teammate into the sunset.
“Never retired, just switching lanes. Congrats, my brother,” the Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott posted on his Instagram story.
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The Carolina Panthers confirmed the news on their official website. Grier had only signed a one-year deal with Carolina back on April 21, 2026, returning to the team that drafted him. But that comeback isn’t making it to training camp. Panthers insider Darin Gantt wrote on Wednesday that the team had placed him on the reserve/retired list.
Grier was Carolina’s third-round pick back in 2019 out of West Virginia. Since then, he’s bounced through Dallas, Cincinnati, New England, the Chargers, and Philadelphia before this latest, and now final, stop with the Panthers. In his rookie year, he sat behind Cam Newton and Kyle Allen before getting his first career start in Week 16 against the Indianapolis Colts, and played the next game against the Saints. Those were the only two games he played in his career.
After the announcement, the reactions started rolling in fast.
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye added his own message, commenting simply, “704 made🔥”
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey went with something a little more heartfelt, writing, “Legend man. Loved playing with you. Also sickest way to retire haha ‘retired today.’”
Others chimed in too. Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson looked back on where it all started for him, commenting, “First NFL pass came from the Thrill golden arm. Changed my life.”
And A.J. Brown rounded things out with a simple send-off of his own, writing, “Congrats fam. Glad our paths crossed! 🤞🏾”
Before any of this, Grier was tearing it up at Davidson Day School under his father and coach, Chad Grier. He picked up two Gatorade Player of the Year awards in North Carolina and was named a Parade National Player of the Year.
With his exit, Carolina’s quarterback depth has been brought down to Bryce Young, Kenny Pickett, and rookie Haynes King.
