Trey

Lance

This only confirms previous reports that the team intended on declining the former third-overall draft pick’s fifth-year option. Cooper Rush served as the team’s backup quarterback a season ago and returns to the roster in 2024, making it likely Lance has another year of emergency quarterback duties while technically inactive ahead.

However, Calvin Watkins reports the team will not pick up Lance’s fifth-year team option for 2025. That part basically went without saying. Per Watkins, “team officials did not consider cutting Lance, whom they believe made tremendous strides last season.” Lance was not the No. 2 quarterback for the Cowboys’ Super Bowl-or-bust roster, though 31-year-old Cooper Rush is a cut candidate at his currently scheduled salary of $2.25 million. Amazingly, Lance remains two months shy of his 24th birthday.

Hendershot will miss his second consecutive game with an ankle injury while Lance will again serve as the team’s emergency quarterback. There was some speculation that Lance could operate as the team’s primary backup quarterback against his former franchise, but those rumors will not come to fruition.

Lance will serve as the emergency quarterback after being acquired late in the offseason. Expect Chuma Edoga to start at left guard with Tyler Smith out.

Prescott’s contract expires at the end of the 2024 season. Cowboys beat writers widely expected a new deal to get done before Dallas’ Week 1 game against the Giants; that appears to be a long shot. The team’s recent acquisition of former first-round pick Trey Lance has cast some doubt on Prescott’s future in Dallas. Entering his age-30 season, Prescott is still likely to sign at least a medium-term deal and remain the Cowboys’ starter for the next few seasons.

The Cowboys will take on Lance’s entire salary, paying him $5.3 million guaranteed in 2024. Dallas will also have the right to exercise Lance’s fifth-year option for 2025. Trading Lance was inevitable after he was passed by Sam Darnold as QB2. The 49ers were able to get some value back for the former No. 3 overall pick, landing an early Day 3 pick in return. Lance will back up Dak Prescott in Dallas and could be an option to replace Prescott when he becomes a free agent in 2025.

In some ways, this is stating the obvious. But the 49ers are reportedly “exploring options” for Lance after naming Sam Darnold as the backup quarterback, which is enough to suggest a trade could be in the works for the former No. 3 overall pick. If the Niners aren’t able to trade Lance, then yes, a QB3 start is the only possible outcome as it stands right now. Lance is expected to play in the team’s preseason finale on Saturday against the Chargers, which should give him time to once again showcase his skills for any potential buyers.

If he does play, all eyes will be on Lance, who lost the backup quarterback job to Sam Darnold. As the 49ers explore what to do with Lance, it’s safe to say Friday’s game against the Chargers could serve as somewhat of a showcase for any teams interested in acquiring the former No. 3 overall pick in a trade. Brock Purdy and Sam Darnold are both expected to play in the finale as well, but we’d expect Lance to see the majority of the snaps with their spots already secured.

It’s safe to say the start of Lance’s career hasn’t gotten off how he had hoped. The former No. 3 overall pick has appeared in just eight games since the team drafted him in 2021, and last year’s season was lost to an ankle injury in Week 2. The emergence of Brock Purdy didn’t do anything to help Lance’s development, and a lost quarterback competition to Sam Darnold has left him without any real opportunity to play in 2023. Whether or not he remains with the 49ers ahead of Week 1 is to be determined, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he’s playing elsewhere in the coming weeks.

Darnold signed with the 49ers this offseason and needed just two preseason appearances to earn the backup job behind Brock Purdy. In his two preseason outings, Darnold completed 16-of-22 passes for 193 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Darnold saw somewhat of a resurgence in 2022 with the Panthers when he led them to a 4-2 record while throwing for 1143-7-3 after coming back from injury. He’d have some streaming appeal in 2QB/superflex leagues if Purdy were to ever miss time.