What latest move by Panthers tells us about 2026 NFL Draft plans

When head coach Dave Canales told reporters that the Carolina Panthers were not really interested in drafting a quarterback this year, we cried foul. The Panthers should not be content to go into the 2026 season with Kenny Pickett as the primary backup behind starter Bryce Young, we wrote.

Unfortunately, Carolina's latest move may confirm that the team won't be taking a quarterback this weekend—even on Day 3.

As announced on Tuesday, quarterback Will Grier is back. The 31-year-old Davidson, N.C. native has agreed to terms with the Panthers after bouncing around the NFL for the past handful of seasons.

To refresh all of our memories, Grier was a third-round draft pick by Carolina back in 2019. He went on to start two games as a rookie—throwing a total of zero touchdown passes and four interceptions while averaging 4.4 yards per attempt, completing less than 54 percent of his passes and posting a QBR of 2.8.

If those numbers weren't convincing enough to tell Grier's story, there's this—he still has yet to appear in another regular-season NFL game since, even as a backup.

Obviously, the Panthers aren't expecting Grier to start. But the fact that they think he's worth bringing back at this stage of his career could be an indictment on this draft's quarterback class—or at least the way the organization sees it.

Either general manager Dan Morgan and/or Canales are thoroughly unimpressed with every quarterback prospect in this class, or they're not committing to investing in the development of one.