While the major contract extension handed out to Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, a deal in which Prescott basically got everything he’d wanted from the team, was the big news of the week from The Star—and well it should have been—one of the subplots to that story is the future of the rest of the Cowboys’ quarterback depth chart. Namely, Trey Lance.
After all, Lance was brought in last August (the Cowboys forked over a fourth-round pick to the 49ers) as a kind of ballast in negotiations with Prescott, who had been coming off a poor 2022 season and had much to prove in 2023. He did. Prescott led the NFL in passing yards, led the Cowboys to a 12-5 record and was the runner-up in NFL MVP voting.
Even with Lance being force-fed opportunities this summer, though, it was clear that the 2021 No. 3 overall pick had no chance to replace Prescott long-term, which is, in part, why the Cowboys had no choice but to cave on the Prescott deal.
Not only did Lance not present a credible threat to Prescott, in the end, he did not even displace No. 2 quarterback Cooper Rush, who is still the Cowboys’ backup. Ah, but the Cowboys could have an opportunity to avoid taking a complete bath on the Lance: Dallas could take advantage of the potentially desperate Dolphins in making a Lance deal.
Dolphins May Need a Tua Tagovailoa Replacement
That’s because the Dolphins, despite having depth and talent at just about every offensive position, could be under pressure to take a major swing at a quarterback following Thursday night’s injury to Tua Tagovailoa, who suffered his third concussion and might have to consider retirement.
And on a short list of potential Tagovailoa replacements, Lance still probably has the most upside. He also has a link to Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel.
As CBS Sports noted in an article titled, “Tua Tagovailoa injury: Five emergency QB options for Dolphins, including big-name trade targets,” the Cowboys are a natural match:
“The former No. 3 overall pick has failed to earn the top backup job with the Dallas Cowboys in successive seasons, and he remains something of a total unknown as a passer. But McDaniel is very familiar with his game, serving as the San Francisco 49ers‘ run game coordinator in 2021, the year Kyle Shanahan and Co. moved up to draft Lance. If nothing else, McDaniel might be able to redraw parts of the offense to work in favor of Lance’s rushing ability, and the youngster isn’t likely to cost a lot via trade.”
Cowboys Have Little Need for Trey Lance
As it stands, the Cowboys have little left to do with Lance but to keep him on the roster until the remaining $5.3 million on his contract dries up. The Cowboys, to no one’s surprise, did not pick up his fifth-year options when they had the chance last winter, and he has never played a down for Dallas in the regular season.
Lance has four games of starting experience under his belt, and has gone 2-2 in those games. His best game came in Week 16 of the 2021 season, when he threw for 249 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in a win over Houston.
He started the first two games of the 2022 season for the 49ers, but was injured in his second outing and has not gotten back on the field consistently since.
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Cowboys’ Trey Lance a Trade ‘Option’ for Hard-Hit AFC Contender