When the Trey Lance experiment failed in San Francisco, Dallas jumped at the chance to sign the former third-overall pick in the 2021 draft.
Eighteen months later, it looks like the Cowboys are ready to move on from Lance. Cowboys COO and co-owner Stephen Jones indicated Monday that Lance will look for work elsewhere in March, and Dallas will likely consider choosing a new developing quarterback in April.
“We took a shot at Trey and wanted to do that,” Jones told The Dallas Morning News. “We think the world of Trey. But now that we’ve signed Dak (Prescott) for the long haul, I believe he’ll be searching for something different.”
It’s convenient to blame an anticipated parting on a lack of opportunity at the top of the depth chart, but as the Cowboys demonstrated in their reliance on Cooper Rush in 2024, Lance was never in contention to take serious reps under center. They waited until Week 18 to give him a legitimate chance in a season that was knocked off the rails by Prescott’s hamstring injury months earlier, and even in a draft class that isn’t loaded at the position, Dallas is choosing to entertain selecting a new prospect over retaining Lance.
That alone explains the Cowboys’ feelings toward Lance. Now they must find a new candidate to groom over the long term.
“You know, I think one of our goals is to get a young quarterback in the draft,” Jones said. “I don’t know where that’s going to be.
“That’s why we gave a [fourth-round pick] for Trey. It seems like all the quarterbacks, even guys we have in the fourth round, go in the first. They always go so much higher than what you think.”
Dallas is also not fully committed to the post. Rush, a quarterback who went 4-4 as a starter in 2024 and has a 9-5 record in starts during his career, is also on the verge of free agency, and Jones is unsure whether they will be able to keep him.
“You know how much we think of Cooper,” Jones remarked. “We’re just not sure how much he’ll cost. When we pay Dak what we do, we have to go cheap.”
Lance’s lack of output would certainly result in a low price, but Dallas does not appear to be interested in such a transaction. Rush has performed well enough to warrant a little rise, but nothing excessive. Extending their partnership is not impossible.
In the draft, Dallas will not find a more affordable backup option than a rookie quarterback picked after the first round.
If the Cowboys have learned anything throughout Prescott’s tenure, it is the value of having a solid backup behind him. Prescott has endured a handful of season-ending injuries in his career, including one that occurred late in the 2022 season, forcing Rush into action. He’s shown to be a good second option, which isn’t as common as most NFL general managers would want.
Entering 2025 without a veteran backup would be perilous. The Cowboys have declared that they aim to be more aggressive in free agency than they were a year ago, and this strategy should include quarterback.
Just don’t expect Lance to be included in their plans.
