The San Francisco 49ers have traded former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance to the Dallas Cowboys for a fourth-round pick, according to Adam Schefter. Lance gets a fresh start after a tumultuous 49ers tenure, and the Cowboys get a potential post-Dak Prescott quarterback option.
The 49ers' quarterback situation has been the topic of the summer around the NFL. It's the one position Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch haven't been able to get right. San Francisco has All-Pro talent at every position group, and their window to win with such a talented roster — and the best defense in the NFL — isn't going to be open forever.
After giving up three first-round picks to draft Trey Lance at No. 3 back in 2021, it seemed like the 49ers found their answer. However, Lance has played very little football since entering the NFL, and last year's last overall pick Brock Purdy swiped the starting job. After the team named Sam Darnold the second-string quarterback, many wondered if they would try to move Lance.
Those questions were put to rest on Friday with this blockbuster trade. Turns out the 49ers had seen enough of Lance, and they salvaged those three first-rounders for a future Cowboys fourth.
The Cowboys, on the other hand, already have their franchise quarterback, but some doubt his ability to win at the highest level. Dak Prescott has two years left on a massive four-year contract, but he still hasn't really proven his worth. If there wasn't already pressure for the leader of “America's Team” to find some deep playoff success as he enters Year 8, there certainly is now.
Lance is a strong backup option for the Cowboys in the meantime. If Dallas eventually chooses to move off of Prescott, they have a former first-round talent to fill those shoes on a bargain contract. Lance still hasn't had an honest chance to prove if he has what it takes. Maybe he'll get it in a post-Prescott era in Dallas.