According to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport on Friday, the Dallas Cowboys have acquired quarterback Trey Lance from the San Francisco 49ers.
According to NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero, the 49ers will trade for Lance in return for a fourth-round pick in 2024.
The Niners declared earlier this week that Lance would be the team’s third quarterback on the depth chart, behind Brock Purdy and Sam Darnold, following the announcement that Sam Darnold had won the competition for the backup quarterback position. For the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Niners had traded three first-round picks to Miami, allowing them to select Lance.
The 49ers general manager, John Lynch, stated, “Really hard day, such a wonderful young man,” during the broadcast of San Francisco’s preseason game on Friday. “We took a chance, but it didn’t pan out. That is ours. For it, we accept responsibility. But I believe that his tale is still very much unwritten, just as I believe you all do. For Trey, I’m eager. They pursued him, and Dallas stepped up and showed how much he wanted him. And I believe it will be a fantastic landing spot for him. Everyone should know that Trey and we both put a lot of effort into making things work, so it wasn’t for want of trying. He suffered with injuries once circumstances took hold, but this team is prepared to triumph. We enjoy the quarterback’s room. We really like Sam Darnold, Brandon Allen, and Brock Purdy. We thus wish Trey the best of luck in Dallas. We will always be concerned about that young man and be inspired by his character and hard ethic.
Following the announcement, head coach Kyle Shanahan expressed his continued optimism that the young quarterback could succeed “with us or someone else in the future.” According to Shanahan on Friday, the Niners had more interest in Lance than they had anticipated because he wanted to have a shot to be a No. 2 elsewhere.
Following the game on Friday, Shanahan said to the media, “He told us that he would like another chance to go somewhere where he had a chance to be the No. 2.” “There were several teams involved, and we believed we got some good bids for him. It turned out better than we had expected to obtain the fourth, which frees up a lot of cash and improves his situation as well.
Lance participated in the fewest games by a top-five pick for the team he made his debut with since the start of the common draft period in 1967, according to NFL Research, having appeared in just eight games over the course of two seasons for the 49ers.
Lance will now have a new beginning in Dallas.
Dealing the player who was supposed to represent the franchise’s future to Dallas will only allow San Francisco to recuperate a small portion of the value it transferred to Miami.
Due in part to injuries, Lance’s opportunities to start for the Niners were few. In his first season, he sprained his knee and broke his finger. Then, two games into the 2022 season, he broke his ankle, forcing him to miss the entire season and setting the stage for current starter Purdy to take the reins.
Overall, Lance is 2-2 as a starter and leaves the Bay Area with 797 passing yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions. He was originally expected to take part in the Niners’ preseason finale against the Los Angeles Chargers.
The question now is how Lance will fit into the Cowboys’ current depth chart given that his next destination has been decided. In Dallas, Dak Prescott continues to be the starting quarterback, with Cooper Rush and Will Grier serving as his backups. According to Rapoport, Lance will start as the team’s backup quarterback but has the potential to be more. Lance, who is still only 23 years old, has a new squad that is willing to take a cheap gamble on the possibility that he can become more than just a regular player.
According to Rapoport, he will receive $6.25 million in completely guaranteed payments over the following two seasons, with the Cowboys still having the option to extend his contract for a fifth year if the need arises.