The Cowboys sent the 49ers a fourth-round pick for Trey Lance in August; the parties are going into their second season together. No immediate plans for a third will be in place.
Even with Lance’s participation rate qualifying him for the bottom tier of the fifth-year option structure, exercising it would cost the Cowboys $22.41MM. The former No. 3 overall pick will instead, as expected, move into a contract year. The Cowboys are declining Lance’s 2025 option, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer reports.
[RELATED: 2025 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker]
Plans for Lance remain unclear for the Cowboys, who are effectively renting the one-year North Dakota State standout as a project on a depth chart headlined by Dak Prescott but still including Cooper Rush. The latter’s contract calls for a $2.25MM base salary. Lance is due a $1.1MM base salary, but the Cowboys picked up a guaranteed roster bonus worth $4.25MM in March.
As it stands, Lance is on track to become one of the biggest draft busts in NFL history. After turning to Lance as their Week 1 starter in 2022, the 49ers reversed course following an ankle injury that required two surgeries. Lance could not beat out Sam Darnold for San Francisco’s backup job last year, and the team kept Brandon Allen as its third-stringer. While Brock Purdy has bailed out the 49ers, they sacrificed two future first-round picks and a third to move up — from No. 12 to No. 3 — for Lance three years ago. Purdy has allowed San Francisco to move on rather cleanly, but Lance’s future is cloudy.
This year will be a bit different for Lance, as he will go into the preseason with the Cowboys. He arrived in Dallas after the 2023 preseason slate wrapped, but he and Rush stand to see extensive time during the Cowboys’ August tilts this preseason. The Cowboys have liked what they’ve seen from Lance in practice, per Archer, and will be ready to give him plenty of run in the preseason. That said, Lance was inactive for every Cowboys game last season.
Next year’s free agency may well feature four of the five first-round QBs from the 2021 draft. The COVID-19-marred period undoubtedly affected teams’ evaluations, but that first round included three passers that have not worked out (Lance, Zach Wilson, Mac Jones) and another inconsistent option (Justin Fields) that was traded due to the Bears having access to a better option in this year’s draft (Caleb Williams). Lance’s marks the last of this batch of declined options, with the Broncos, Jaguars, and Steelers each declining the option to greenlight guaranteed money for their low-cost reclamation projects. Only one of the five 2021 first-round QBs — Trevor Lawrence — saw his option exercised.
A dual-threat sensation for North Dakota State in 2019, Lance was denied a chance to build on that success due to the pandemic prompting Division I-FCS to nix its fall seasons. Lance declared for the 2021 draft and did well to score a $34MM guarantee from the 49ers. Unable to threaten Jimmy Garoppolo‘s job security as a rookie, Lance completed 15 of 31 passes in 2022. He has thrown just 102 NFL passes and still has fewer than 500 attempts since high school. This preseason will at least provide Lance the chance to display progress.
While Prescott’s contract-year status could conceivably impact Lance, the latter has not shown much to indicate he will be worthy of longer-term consideration. It will be interesting to see if that changes in the coming months.
Future Giants qb.
Never thought we would see the day when Jerry throws in the towel on a season during the offseason.
Damn Zach fields lance and Mac will all most likely be free agents this time next year. I can see Trey with the Seahawks tho
Lance and the Cowboys will most likely sign a one year deal for about $8MM if Dallas moves on from Prescott
Which they probably won’t lol
No one is giving Trey Lance $8 million for a season based on his current body of work.
True. But he won’t just go away. Some team will see something in him. I think Harbaugh could squeeze some potential out of him
I wouldn’t call him a massive bust, with only 102 NFL passes thrown. There are way worse busts that have shown they are busts.
He was a massive bust for the 49ers, considering what they gave up to get him. He still could have a decent career though.
If his career ended today Lance would overtake Russell or Leaf for sure. The raiders and chargers just made a bad pick. The 49ers not only made a bad pick but gave up 3 first round picks and a 3rd rounder to make said bad pick. That’s pretty bad and IMO worse than Russell or Leaf.
they gave up 2 first rounders
They gave up three 1st rounders plus a 3rd. Here (plus where the picks eventually landed):
* 2021 1st round pick (12th overall)
* 2022 1st round pick (29th overall)
* 2022 3rd round pick (102nd overall)
* 2023 1st round pick (29th overall)
I don’t think so. Russell and Leaf were bad NFL players. Lance hasn’t proven that yet.
He is absolutely a bust given the draft capital they packaged to reach up and nab him at 3rd overall. Teams are so starved for their franchise QB they drove a guy that should’ve been plucked in the 3rd round and serving an apprenticeship all the way up to 3rd overall. It was an outstanding season, but he only played one season in college and it was FCS ball. All of the talking heads that drove his value up should be embarrassed.
He’s the biggest bust eva so far.
Dafuq are you smoking?
Like I said in another post the cowboys make flashy moves not smart moves. So what was the point of trading for Trey Lance when both him and Dak are free agents after this year ? That 4th round pick could’ve gotten them a running back and not forced them to bring back Zeke well past his prime.
The risk reward wasn’t that bad at the time they took him, but for what he’s delivered they could’ve kept that pick and kept DiNucci or Grier to fill that slot.
It seems every cowboy fan wishes they would keep Trey Lance moving forward and find a way to get rid of Dak
Jerry not talking to national media about undrafted players also could have accomplished that.
I just get the sense Jerry doesn’t even care. He won a few championships in the 90s, cowboys are still the most the most valuable football team so it seems all is well in Jerry World. He came out and said Zeke can still be a number 1 RB when I’m pretty sure all of us armchair gms on this site laughed because we know how bad Zeke is at this point. Coming up on the 30 year anniversary of their last championship and nothing has changed in those 30 years. Maybe if the Dez Bryant catch was called a catch maybe the cowboys win, just seems like a pipe dream at this point
I don’t see him as a major draft bust. He’s rarely had the chance to play.
Because he hasn’t shown enough to get on the field, therefore he’s a bust!
When you clearly get beat out by Mr. Irrelevant, you’re a bust.
Mr irrelevant is a top 10 qb. Shanahan ran Lance like a running back. He didn’t want him, that was ownerships call
Kyle wanted Mac Jones over Trey. That’s been well documented. Would SF been better off w/ that decision?
link to ninersnation.com
I love that you posted an article that proves nothing from a website i read regularly. Nothing is “documented”
You’re blind apparently then…
They are bringing him back, just would make no sense to commit that 5th year money.
lance – future raider
Lance on his way out- no longer wear #15- gave his number to Elliott- now wears # 19. The bench and the clipboard will be waiting. But Jerry claims to be elated with Lance so called progress to be in play for QB#2. Yeah right! Fools gold once again from Jones.