Cowboys' Will Grier has 'best performance' of preseason since 1999, coach says after team acquired Trey Lance

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Cowboys third string quarterback Will Grier had the impossible task of playing what was likely his final snap in Dallas on Sunday, just a day after the team acquired first round draft pick Trey Lance in a trade with the San Francisco 49ers. 

For head coach Mike McCarthy, Grier not only showed up – he put on one of the best preseason performances he’s seen in a long time. 

Will Grier of the Dallas Cowboys tries to stiff arm Luke Masterson of the Las Vegas Raiders during a preseason game at AT&T Stadium on Aug. 26, 2023, in Arlington, Texas. (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

"I’m excited about the acquisition," McCarthy said of Lance during a press conference following the Cowboys’ 31-16 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

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"You know, the timing of it is tough and that’s where I’d really like to shift gears here because I can’t tell you how proud I am of Will Grier and the team and just the way they played tonight." 

Grier, who was entering his third season with the Cowboys, completed 29 of 35 passes for two touchdowns and ran for 54 yards with two more scores on the ground after getting the call from McCarthy about Dallas’ trade with San Francisco. 

"I thought he handled it very well and I just asked him to go out there and play your a-- off tonight."

"That is by far – I was trying to think walking over here, but for a preseason quarterback performance, that might be the best performance I’ve seen since 1999. Matt Hasselback had some of these."

Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck tries to elude Tennessee's Kyle Vanden Bosch on Dec. 18, 2005, at the