Overview
- Will Grier posted “Retired today” on social media and the Carolina Panthers placed him on the reserve/retired list on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, formally ending his seven-season NFL playing career.
- Carolina selected Grier in the third round of the 2019 draft and his only regular-season action came in two starts that rookie year, when he completed 28 of 52 passes for 228 yards and four interceptions.
- After 2019 he spent most of his career as a backup or practice-squad player with six organizations, including multiple stints with the Dallas Cowboys, and signed a one-year deal to return to Carolina in April 2026.
- Reports say the Cowboys offered Grier a coaching job in June and his father told The Athletic that Grier had been leaning toward that path, making a move into coaching the likeliest next step.
- Grier’s exit leaves the Panthers with Bryce Young, Kenny Pickett and rookie Haynes King for training camp and creates a near-term roster need should the team want to restore quarterback depth.