Morgantown, West Virginia – Last week, I wrote a piece entitled “OPINION: Will Grier Might Not Be an NFL Level Talent” following a mediocre game where he finished 6/10 for 31 yards and had a long pass of 8 yards.
For his career, Grier has played in only two regular season games. During those two games, Grier is 28/52 for 228 yards (4.4 yards per pass) with 0 touchdowns and 4 interceptions.
However, he looked entirely different in the Panthers’ 20-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Grier led four drives, which resulted in a missed 37-yard field goal, two punts and a 41-yard field goal, and finished 11-of-14 passing for 144 yards, averaging 10.3 yards per attempt. He was sacked twice and finished with a 109.5 passer rating.
Dime 🎯 @willgrier_ pic.twitter.com/SRPRwLbUxJ
— WVU Football (@WVUfootball) August 22, 2021
With this performance, Grier likely earned a spot on the Carolina Panthers for the 2021-2022 season as a potential backup to Sam Darnold, or a third string quarterback behind P.J. Walker.
“I try not to even think about the quarterback battle because it’s not up to me,” Grier said. “I try to take advantage of opportunities and show that I can play quarterback in this league, and then it comes down to what they want.”
Head coach Matt Rhule was impressed with Grier’s performance, saying, “I thought Will did a nice job, pushed the ball down the field. He made some big throws. Unfortunately, he had some checks on the protection game that hurt him, but he made some big throws down the field.”
“Just being in the offense for two years helps … you know going into camp, so you’re kind of working through the details and trying to get better, that’s been a huge benefit this year,” Grier said following the game. “The NFL, so much of it is getting in the right play, and not just being able to throw, but knowing where to throw the ball and then having an answer on every play. I feel like I’ve come a long way in that area.”
Grier, 26, threw for 8,556 yards, 83 touchdowns and 21 interceptions during his college career at West Virginia University, but has just never found the same success in the NFL. Hopefully yesterday’s big game is just the start of a successful career in the NFL!
