Panthers quarterback Will Grier came into the NFL last year with a fair amount of acclaim for a Day 2 pick. The transition from college to the NFL can be a jarring and humbling one though, even for very talented players who had outstanding careers as amateurs.
In Grier’s case, he learned quickly just how much faster everything is in the pros. His processing speed proved to be inadequate during the preseason and again when he started twice late in the year. To his credit, Grier is owning up to the mistakes he made as a rookie. Speaking with the media today, Grier admitted he was bad at being a backup last year after having been a starter his whole life.
Grier says he didn’t make the adjustment from being a starter in every other level of football to being a backup last year. Now he has a better handle on it and what it means. “Straight up, (I) was bad at being a backup.”
— Myles Simmons (@MylesASimmons) August 22, 2020
Grier still has a lot of arm talent, but he’s proof it takes a lot more than that to earn the QB1 job.
Speaking of which, Teddy Bridgewater has been leading by example, saying all the right things and staying late to get extra throws in. Bridgewater is locked in as the starter as long as he’s healthy.
We don’t yet know who will be his backup, though. Grier is competing with former XFL standout P.J. Walker for that spot.
