Last August, the Dallas Cowboys — in need of some insurance at quarterback, the most important position in football — swung a savvy trade with a fellow NFC contender, the San Francisco 49ers. Two years after drafting him third overall in the NFL Draft, the 49ers were ready to cut ties with Trey Lance — a decision made easier for the franchise thanks to the emergence of Brock Purdy under center.
So off Lance went, dealt to Dallas for a fourth-round pick in the 2024 draft. Lance, a former star at North Dakota State University, represented some young competition for incumbent signal-caller Dak Prescott — who was so good and so available in 2023 that Lance did not play a single snap. However, with Prescott set to hit free agency following the 2024 season, the search for his replacement is more-or-less on — and Lance, so far, isn’t quite showing that he has what it takes to run the Dallas offense.
Continued belief in Lance despite his struggles
At Cowboys training camp in Oxnard, California this week, Lance showed off a strong but inaccurate arm, leaving receivers in dangerous positions and seeing some those passes intercepted by the defense. The clips coming from Oxnard are concerning to fans, but Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy is sticking by Lance as he enters a critical season in his still-young career.
McCarthy said he is looking to give Lance as many reps as possible, knowing that Prescott is locked in as his QB1. After all, Lance is only 24 years old — one year younger than Prescott was when he entered the NFL in 2016.
Like Prescott, Lance is a free agent following the 2024 season after Dallas declined the fifth-year option on his rookie contract. He will have to display much more consistency in the coming weeks to put the Cowboys — and the rest of the NFL — on notice that he still has the toolbox to succeed in pro football. And for what it’s worth, Lance on Sunday showed a touch more accuracy and maintained the confidence to make difficult throws — a mentality that once made him a “can’t-miss” prospect.
