When the San Francisco 49ers reportedly named Sam Darnold the backup behind Brock Purdy, it was largely expected that former No. 3 overall NFL draft pick Trey Lance would be heading elsewhere.
Indeed, the team ultimately opted to trade Lance, sending him to the Dallas Cowboys for a fourth-round pick on Friday evening, according to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter. He’ll presumably compete with Cooper Rush, who started five games last year for an injured Dak Prescott, for the backup job.
With Prescott playing well while under one of the most lucrative quarterback deals in football, the move all but ends Lance’s hopes of becoming an NFL starter, at least barring an injury situation.
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
Compensation update: Cowboys are sending a fourth-round pick to the 49ers for Trey Lance, per league source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 25, 2023
It’s been a bit of a surprising arc considering the high pick the 49ers invested in Lance, and he remains a largely unknown quantity. He’s only appeared in eight games in his two-year career, making four starts. A one-year starter at the FCS level in college, we just haven’t seen Lance play in a lot of football games.
He beat out Jimmy Garoppolo last season for the starting job but suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2. Purdy, meanwhile, ultimately took over after Garoppolo suffered an injury of his own, nearly leading the team to a Super Bowl appearance.
Purdy maintaining the starting job is understandable, but Darnold — a former third-overall pick himself — beating out Lance is more concerning. After three frustrating seasons with the Jets, Darnold landed in Carolina where he was a part-time starter for a team that finished 7-10.
It’s also telling that no teams in need of quarterback help were willing to give Lance a chance, especially given the relatively low reported asking price.
San Francisco moved on from Lance without giving him much of a chance, and it doesn’t seem like another franchise is willing to, either.
