Lance completed 25 of 41 passes for 188 yards in Sunday's 13-12 preseason loss to the Rams. He added 44 rushing yards on six carries. Cooper Rush got the start for Dallas in the team's preseason opener but saw only one series before handing the reins to Lance, who played the rest of the game. The 24-year-old quarterback flashed the physical ability that made him the third overall pick in the 2021 Draft, escaping pressure with his legs and showing off his arm strength, and his numbers were impacted by some drops by the second-team receiving options he was working with. Lance also had some accuracy issues of his own, though, and he failed to get the ball into the end zone despite multiple trips inside the 20, forcing the Cowboys to settle for four Brandon Aubrey field goals. This performance likely wasn't enough to push the former 49er ahead of Rush in the battle to be the primary backup to Dak Prescott, but Lance will likely get another chance in Saturday's preseason clash with the Raiders.
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Lance completed 25 of 41 passes for 188 yards in Sunday's 13-12 preseason loss to the Rams. He added 44 rushing yards on six carries. Cooper Rush got the start for Dallas in the team's preseason opener but saw only one series before handing the reins to Lance, who played the rest of the game. The 24-year-old quarterback flashed the physical ability that made him the third overall pick in the 2021 Draft, escaping pressure with his legs and showing off his arm strength, and his numbers were impacted by some drops by the second-team receiving options he was working with. Lance also had some accuracy issues of his own, though, and he failed to get the ball into the end zone despite multiple trips inside the 20, forcing the Cowboys to settle for four Brandon Aubrey field goals. This performance likely wasn't enough to push the former 49er ahead of Rush in the battle to be the primary backup to Dak Prescott, but Lance will likely get another chance in Saturday's preseason clash with the Raiders.
Lance could wind up getting the bulk of the snaps at quarterback for the Cowboys during the preseason, Saad Yousef of The Athletic reports. Dak Prescott is locked in as the starting QB and will be protected from injury by minimizing his workload during the exhibition schedule, and Dallas is already comfortable with Cooper Rush as his primary backup. Lance, however, is still adjusting to coach Mike McCarthy's system after being picked up from the 49ers just before the start of the 2023 season, and the Cowboys will want give him a long look to determine if he fits into their plans for 2025. If he has a strong preseason, Lance could even take over the No. 2 spot on the depth chart from Rush, but more likely the third overall pick in the 2021 Draft will begin the year as the No. 3 QB.
The Cowboys declined Lance's 2025 fifth-year option, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports. This was a no-brainer, as Lance has been a mega-bust to this point in his career after the 49ers traded up to select Lance at No. 3 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. He didn't play a single snap for Dallas last season after the team traded for him prior to Week 1. Lance will compete with Cooper Rush for backup duties behind Dak Prescott.
The Cowboys will pick up Lance's $4.25 million roster bonus for the 2024 season, Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reports. Lance didn't play a snap for the Cowboys in 2023 after he was traded by the 49ers late in training camp. However, Dallas is optimistic about the growth he made and reportedly has not considered cutting him. Unsurprisingly, the team will not pick up Lance's fifth-year option, which would have been worth $22.4 million. In the best-case scenario, he'll be the Cowboys' backup quarterback entering 2024.
It's a familiar role for Lance, who remains behind Cooper Rush as the team's top backup to Dak Prescott. Lance will only be eligible to play if both quarterbacks get injured in Thursday's contest against the Commanders.