Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance will look for a new opportunity this offseason as his time with the Dallas Cowboys is likely over.
Cowboys EVP/CEO Stephen Jones spoke with reporters ahead of the combine about Dallas’ QB situation among other topics. Jones said he doesn’t expect the former San Francisco draft pick to return in 2025.
"We took a shot at Trey and wanted to do that. We think the world of Trey. But us having Dak signed up for the long-term, I think he’s probably going to be looking for something different."
Lance appeared in four games this past season with the Cowboys, which included a Week 18 start against the Washington Commanders. He completed 58.8 percent of his passes for 244 yards. The former 49ers quarterback also had 26 yards on the ground.
The former North Dakota State signal caller served as the Cowboys’ QB3 in 2023 and became the QB2 this past season after starting quarterback Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending hamstring injury in Week 9 against the Atlanta Falcons.
San Francisco took the dual-threat quarterback with the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Lance appeared in eight games across two seasons with the 49ers before the team traded him to the Cowboys in Aug. 2023 in exchange for a 2024 fourth-round pick.
The 49ers used that pick to take safety Malik Mustapha, who posted 72 combined tackles, five pass deflections, two tackles for loss, and an interception as a rookie this past season.
Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see where Lance lands next this offseason. At his age, Lance still has room for growth. One would hope the former first-round pick takes that next step in his career after being in San Francisco and Dallas.
It’s likely that wherever the former 49ers quarterback goes, he’ll be a QB3 or maybe a QB2. If you are Lance, you hope he ends up in a situation like Kenny Pickett or Malik Willis. Pickett was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles last offseason, while Willis was traded to the Green Bay Packers at the end of the preseason.