Patriots reportedly release Will Grier amid QB controversy
There's one fewer quarterback in the competition to be the Patriots' starter Week 12.
The Patriots quarterback situation entering their Week 12 matchup against the Giants became a little bit clearer Saturday morning.
Backup quarterback Will Grier has been waived, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Saturday.
The Patriots’ decision to release Grier comes as they’ve yet to name their starting quarterback for Sunday’s game, but it removes one player from contention. Grier was one of the three quarterbacks on the Patriots’ active roster prior to Saturday.
However, Grier was the Patriots’ third-string quarterback for much of his time in New England after he signed with the team in September. The five-year vet didn’t see the field in any of the three times that Mac Jones was benched earlier this season, with Bailey Zappe serving as the substitute on all three occasions.
Grier’s spot on the outside looking in at the quarterback competition seemed to be further solidified this week. Jones and Zappe split reps during practice, NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry reported.
Grier signed with the Patriots off of the Bengals’ practice squad. The quarterback was only in Cincinnati for a few weeks as he was on the Cowboys’ roster for training camp and the preseason, scoring four touchdowns in Dallas’ preseason finale. He was also with the Cowboys for the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
Grier began his career with the Panthers, who drafted him in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He made the only two regular-season appearances of his NFL career with the Panthers as a rookie before being released at the start of the 2021 season.
In addition to Jones and Zappe, the Patriots also have undrafted rookie quarterback/wide receiver Malik Cunningham on their practice squad.
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