After getting re-injured, Newton and Carolina lost seven straight games after a 6-2 start to the season, before the team shut Newton down for the final two games of the year.
During the losing streak, Newton completed just four of 16 attempts that traveled 20-plus yards beyond the line of scrimmage.
Newton had an arthroscopic procedure in the offseason and has reiterated that he will be fully healthy for the 2019 season, but the uncertainty of his shoulder with two years remaining on his contract led Carolina to pick a quarterback in the draft for the first time since they picked Newton in 2011.
If Newton is indeed back to full health, Grier may not see the field as a starter for a long time.
Newton has two years and $44.3 million remaining on his contract, with $2 million of dead money after 2019, leaving Grier as Newton’s likely successor.
“I think this is a position where when you find a guy that you like for the most important position on your team, you gotta get him,” Hurney said. “Will has the ‘It’ factor. He’s a very talented quarterback that we had the chance to get.”
Grier, 24, played for local high school Davidson Day, before choosing to play at University of Florida.
Grier began to make a name for himself as a redshirt freshmen in 2015, but his season was cut short after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs, leading to a one-year suspension.
Grier said the test stemmed from an over-the-counter supplement, Ligandrol, that he didn’t know was banned.
Following the suspension, Grier transferred to West Virginia, where he became a Heisman Trophy candidate during his final two seasons. He threw for 30-plus touchdowns 3,500+ yards in each of his last two seasons.
“It’s overwhelming. I grew up a Panthers fan,” Grier said. “I don’t even have to move. I’m already here. This is what I’ve always wanted.”
Now, the question is what the future holds for Newton and whether Carolina will ever start Grier.