The Dallas Cowboys had one of the league’s best offenses this past season, but with Dak Prescott’s health always looming as a potential concern, Dallas decided to add some extra insurance behind their four-time Pro Bowl quarterback. Dallas didn’t have to look far for the addition, as he’s already spent four seasons with the franchise, including a stint on the 2025 practice squad.

On Monday, Dallas announced it had signed quarterback Will Grier to a reserve/future contract, according to reporter Mike Garafolo.

Grier entered the league seven years ago after college stops at Florida and West Virginia, and the Carolina Panthers selected him in the third round. His rookie season was brief, which ended with him throwing 4 picks and no touchdowns. That was essentially it in terms of real game action.

He remained in Carolina through 2020 before the Cowboys claimed him off waivers in 2021.

And then, he spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons in Dallas, mostly as a backup or third-string option. Neither side seemed thrilled with how that played out, and his career turned nomadic after that.

Between 2023 and 2024, Grier bounced through the Bengals, Patriots, Chargers, and Eagles. Eventually, he circled back to Dallas in 2024. He spent most of his time on the practice squad, and now he’s at least secured a future deal to stay in the building.

None of this changes the top of the depth chart. Prescott is still very much QB1. He put together one of the best seasons of his career, throwing for 4,552 yards and 30 touchdowns while playing every game.

This move is more about insurance and a little competition at QB2. Right now, that competition is aimed at backup Joe Milton. In his limited action, Milton logged 51 snaps, threw for 183 yards, had one touchdown, and had two interceptions.

Dallas checked one box by adding depth at quarterback, but there are still plenty of others left unchecked. One of the biggest and most delicate will be figuring out what comes next with Prescott’s contract.

The Cowboys could save $31 million from Dak Prescott’s contract

The Dallas Cowboys aren’t walking into this offseason with much financial breathing room. Right now, they’re projected to be about $31.4 million over the cap. That’s before they even get into the tougher conversations, including what to do with George Pickens. If that situation tilts the wrong way, the numbers get even tighter.

As usual, the biggest piece of the puzzle is Dak Prescott’s contract. Prescott signed a four-year, $240 million extension at the end of training camp in 2024, and in 2026 alone, he’s scheduled to carry a staggering $74 million cap hit. Over The Cap projects the cap to land around $295.5 million. Even at that number, Prescott’s deal takes up a massive chunk of the pie.

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The good news, if you want to call it that, is that Dallas isn’t stuck. There’s a familiar escape hatch. Under NFL rules, teams can convert a player’s base salary into a restructured bonus. Like a signing bonus, that money can be spread evenly across up to five seasons on the cap. It’s a tool teams use all the time, and Prescott is an obvious candidate.

In his case, the 2026 base salary is $40 million, and virtually all of it is expected to be reworked. The Cowboys could convert as much as $38.7 million of that into a restructure bonus and spread it across future years. Doing so would free up roughly $31 million in cap space.

If Dallas wants flexibility, whether that’s reinforcing the defense or committing long-term to Pickens, reworking Prescott’s deal becomes almost unavoidable.