The backup quarterback role is not everyone’s favorite battle to follow, but as of the last few days, I’ve dialed in on Cooper Rush and Will Grier, and have to admit, this may be closer than I thought.
I’ll be the first to tell you I am a big fan of Rush and thought nobody had a shot to test him for the backup QB spot on the depth chart for the Cowboys. That was until Grier made noise the last few days.
Grier had a solid day Friday in training camp. He made some tight window throws, including the “play of the day,” on a throw to the back of the end zone where TJ Vasher came down with an impressive one-handed touchdown catch.
Big-time catch from TJ Vasher to finish practice pic.twitter.com/o0N4rDAcpf
— Rob Phillips (@robphillips3) July 29, 2022
Even with an impressive day from Grier, does anyone think it’s enough to continue to push Rush for the backup role? Rush stepped in a season ago on the road at Minnesota when Dak Prescott missed a week and took care of business. You would have to think this would need to continue throughout the rest of camp, even into the first handful of preseason games, if Grier wants a real shot at QB2.
Cooper Rush winning a game for the Cowboys in spot duty last year is an awfully big feather in his cap, and makes him hard to unseat as the Cowboys backup quarterback.
But Will Grier has done some nice things early on in this camp, that make him an intriguing guy to watch.
— Mike Leslie (@MikeLeslieWFAA) July 30, 2022
It’s fun to watch someone force Rush into a situation where he can’t be comfortable thinking nobody will compete for his backup role.
Grier comes from West Virginia, and although he did not impress in his brief stint in Carolina, in those three seasons with the mountaineers, Grier totaled 8,556 passing yards and 81 touchdowns. During his senior season in 2018 he threw for 3,864 yards and 37 of those 81 touchdowns. He can definitely sling the football, but once some get to this level, a bit changes.
This is not my main focus at all. It is an afterthought for me as to who wins this battle. I think It will be Rush, and it should be as he has shown he can step in and win a big game on the road if something happens to Prescott, but I thought it would be fun to point out a couple of solid things I saw from Grier the first week. Again, let me be clear it would take a huge push from Grier to take the job from Rush.
