Grier: 'Feels awesome' to be named starting QB for hometown Panthers
Will Grier grew up as a Carolina Panthers fan, and on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts, the rookie quarterback will lead his childhood team onto the field after being the starter on Thursday.
"It feels awesome," said Grier, according to Max Henson of the Panthers' official site. "I'm very excited and ready to go."
Grier will take over for Kyle Allen, who started the last 12 games in place of the injured Cam Newton.
With the 5-9 Panthers eliminated from playoff contention, the NFC South club will give its third-round pick a two-game opportunity ahead of a pivotal offseason for the franchise.
Longtime head coach Ron Rivera was fired earlier in December. Meanwhile, there's one year remaining on Newton's contract, and speculation about the Panthers moving on has followed him.
Grier made his name at West Virginia with an aggressive style, finishing his final collegiate season ranked fourth in the nation in yards per attempt (9.7), joining Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa in the top five.
But the 24-year-old knows he'll need to be smarter about taking risks in the pros, especially with do-it-all running back Christian McCaffrey - who has logged 2,121 scrimmage yards this season - as his safety net.
"A lot of my WVU tape is me throwing the ball downfield almost every play. And that's not necessarily going to work in the NFL," said Grier.
Carolina has lost six straight games entering Week 16.