NFL Quarterback Dallas Cowboys third-string starter Trey Lance trade may be coming imminently before the season begins this fall. His time will likely end after the 2024 campaign, however, he has a chance to win a backup role over Cooper Rush. According to a source, the Cowboys will decline Lance’s fifth-year option that would have paid him $22.4 million for the 2025 season, raising questions about his NFL future. Lance may go down as one of the biggest draft busts in NFL history.
Dallas initially acquired the North Dakota State product from the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a 2024 fourth-round draft pick. The 49ers were able to select Malik Mustapha with them winning the trade so far. However, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said that Lance would compete with Rush for the backup quarterback position. This could be Lance’s final chance with Dallas to prove his abilities but it may be too late for that since he’s on the last year of his deal.
Lance was drafted with the No. 3 overall pick and has played just eight games in his three-year career. He was the starter for the 49ers in 2022 but injury forced him out of competition. However, Brock Purdy came out of nowhere and is now the franchise starter for the 49ers. The North Dakota State product has many years ahead of him so one could speculate that Dallas could ship him to a new team this year.
Dallas would be looking for something in return to make this trade happen. However, the Cowboys have Dak Prescott and Rush in the final year of their contracts. The priority should be giving Prescott a long-term deal while looking for a backup.
Trey Lance Trade May Be Coming Imminently
Who Will Be the Future Leader?
The quarterback position now has more questions than answers coming this offseason for the Dallas Cowboys. There are already many players and coaching staff on thin this year so Jerry Jones probably won’t be done trying to make moves. They say they’re going “all in” but had a quiet free agency and an average NFL Draft. This seems like they’re planning a future without Prescott, Rush and Lance altogether.
The rumors are already showing when the Cowboys would open the door for Bill Belichick to return to coaching in 2025. The Cowboys haven’t made any efforts to extend their starting quarterback leading to speculation they could trade him too. However, the two sides remain confident that a deal will get done. Lance has shown flashes of being a productive quarterback in his brief time on the field.
He notched 797 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions while adding 235 rushing yards and a score. The good news for Lance is that the Cowboys will likely give him more playing time this preseason. If he wins the backup role, this could lead to Lance seeing the field if Prescott suffers an injury. This would be an opportunity for Lance to showcase his skills as a potential trade partner.
Team Trade Fits for Lance
There have been plenty of quarterback trades this offseason among Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, Mac Jones, Sam Howell and Zach Wilson. This doesn’t affect the trade value for Lance since he’s in his final year with the Cowboys. One trade rumor that has been floating around is Lance could land with the Vikings. However, this isn’t out of the question since they drafted J.J. McCarthy and need a reliable backup.
It would make sense if the Cowboys ship Lance to a team to get some draft capital. They wouldn’t get a quarterback in return but they would add to their roster depth next NFL Draft. A team that would fit for Lance is the New Orleans Saints with Derek Carr already on thin ice. This would move Lance to become the starter if he impresses the Saints or if they need to make an emergency trade midseason in case Carr goes down with an injury.
One other fit would be the Ravens since the team doesn’t have a reliable backup behind Lamar Jackson. They can’t afford to lose their star franchiser but if it comes to it, they would have Lance to step in.
