The Dallas Cowboys will play host to the New England Patriots this coming Sunday, and the home team apparently has some concerns about signal stealing from their opposition.
NFL Rumors: Cowboys Worried About Patriots Sign Stealing
Patriots signed QB Will Grier last week off Bengals PS, so the Cowboys will alter their hand signals, calls this week. Brian Schottenheimer: “We know Will knows where a lot of the bones are buried. We know Zeke does as well … I’m sure (Grier) is definitely being interrogated.”
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) September 26, 2023
Quarterback Will Grier signed with the Cowboys at the start of the 2021 season. He was brought in to provide depth behind Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush, though he never actually got to see the field for Dallas in any regular season games. His time with the team expired when they went out and acquired Trey Lance from the 49ers before the start of the current campaign, and he was waived at the conclusion of training camp.
While he never made a throw for the Cowboys, he was around the franchise and its inner workings for the better part of two years. He has plenty of knowledge about the offense, having been one of the players in the QB room, and Dallas is worried that he may be sharing some information with his new team ahead of Sunday’s game.
Greir spent the last month on the Bengals’ practice squad as a depth piece for the potentially-injured Joe Burrow, but was signed by the Patriots just two days before their Week 3 game against the Jets. He was listed as the emergency QB for that contest, but his presence may have more to do with their Week 4 opponent than it does with his potential to see the field any time soon.
Signing Players Like This Is Common Practice
Update: The #Cowboys are worried about the #Patriots learning their signals ahead of their Week 4 game, because the Pats signed QB Will Grier last week, according to OC Brian Schottenheimer.
“We know Will knows where a lot of the bones are buried. We know Zeke does as well …… pic.twitter.com/zQdQoIWBC1
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 26, 2023
Long-time Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliot, who signed with the Patriots in the offseason, may have some information, too. Dallas’ offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer had the following to say about the situation:
We know Will knows where a lot of the bones are buried. We know Zeke does as well … I’m sure (Grier) is definitely being interrogated.
While it would be easy to point to the story and accuse the Patriots of once again using under-the-radar tactics to gain an upper hand, many teams around the league have used this particular practice for years. Signing a player for just a week or two simply to pick their brains about their previous teams is a common enough practice throughout the NFL.
The Cowboys will be looking to improve to 3-1, and are currently favored by 7 points.