The Trey Lance era in San Francisco has finally come to a conclusion. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Niners are trading the former No. 3 overall pick to the Dallas Cowboys for a mid-round pick just days after Sam Darnold was named the backup to Brock Purdy.
Trade: 49ers are sending their former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance to the Dallas Cowboys for a mid-round, per sources. Lance now gets a fresh start in Dallas. pic.twitter.com/UxKNpljktv
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 25, 2023
Despite trading three first-round picks to move up and select Lance in 2021, the Niners never saw him play a full season, and he’ll leave the team after playing in just eight games. A season-ending leg injury in Week 2 last season led to a series of events that saw Purdy, a seventh-round pick in 2022, ascend to the starting quarterback position. Lance entered training camp competing to win the starting job, or at least come away as the clear backup, but he could not beat out Purdy or Darnold, the latter of whom San Francisco signed this offseason.
The Cowboys will pay a small price to take a chance on a talented young quarterback that hasn’t had many reps at the NFL level. Dallas has a clear franchise quarterback in Dak Prescott, while backup Cooper Rush led the team to a 4-1 record last season. Lance will have to earn his way onto the field if he’s going to play, but will escape the pressure of being the guy San Francisco envisioned him being and gets the opportunity to learn from Mike McCarthy, who has a history of developing young quarterbacks.