Well, I’d brag about seeing this one coming from a mile away, but I think pretty much everyone did. The Dallas Cowboys confirmed what many suspected would happen the moment Will Grier retired from his playing career.

According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, Grier is joining the Cowboys again. The catch? He is joining the coaching staff as an offensive assistant, reuniting with a franchise he knows well and a quarterback room led by Dak Prescott.

The move caps a whirlwind offseason for Grier, who initially turned down an offer from Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer to join his staff earlier this year. Instead, the 31-year-old pursued at least one more season as a player, signing with the Carolina Panthers. That bid proved short-lived. A crowded Carolina’s quarterback room featured Bryce Young, Kenny Pickett, and rookie Haynes King, and Grier called it a career on July 15.

The path from player to coach

Grier carved out a seven-year NFL career largely on the strength of his football IQ and locker room presence. The Panthers selected him in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, and he bounced around the league after that, spending time with the Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots, Los Angeles Chargers, and Philadelphia Eagles before returning to Dallas.

When the Cowboys signed Sam Howell this offseason to compete with backup quarterback Joe Milton, it was clear they had moved on from Grier the player. However, Dallas kept the door open for Grier the coach, with The Athletic’s Joe Person reporting that Schottenheimer had offered him a spot on the staff.

Once Grier retired, the pairing made too much sense to ignore. Grier maintains a strong relationship with Prescott, tight end Jake Ferguson, and other Cowboys players and coaches. He even participated in player-organized offseason activities this year. The connection was already there.

Schottenheimer’s track record with young coaches

Grier’s hire fits a clear pattern under Schottenheimer. The Cowboys’ head coach has shown a willingness to bet on young, unproven coaches since taking the job in Dallas. This will be Grier’s first stop in a coaching career.

When Schottenheimer took over, he hired Klayton Adams as a first-year offensive coordinator. This offseason, he brought in Christian Parker as a first-year defensive coordinator. Parker is 34 years old, Adams is 43, and the average age of the eight hires Dallas made to its defensive coaching staff earlier in the offseason was 36.

It remains unclear exactly what Grier’s role will entail. The Cowboys already have quarterbacks coach Steve Shimko and pass game specialist Ken Dorsey on staff, so Grier could assist in the quarterback room or contribute elsewhere on offense. Dallas also employs assistant coaches at running back (Jamel Mutuanga, behind Derrick Foster), offensive line (Kyle Fuller, behind offensive line coach Conor Riley), and wide receiver (Stephen Bravo-Brown, under Junior Adams).

What it means for the Cowboys

Grier may be unproven as a coach, but his value is easy to identify. He spent years learning NFL offenses from the inside, and his familiarity with Dallas’ personnel gives him a head start. For Schottenheimer, it is another investment in a young coaching staff built around potential rather than pedigree.

For now, the Cowboys have a complete staff heading into training camp, and Grier gets a legitimate first step toward the coaching career he is clearly chasing. We’ll see how it pans out for everyone involved.