The San Francisco 49ers have dealt Trey Lance to the Dallas Cowboys.
The era of Trey Lance in San Francisco has concluded, with reports from NFL insider Adam Schefter indicating that the 49ers have traded Lance to the Dallas Cowboys in return for a fourth-round pick in the upcoming 2024 draft.
Various factors contributed to Lance not reaching the potential the 49ers envisioned when they selected him as the third overall pick in the 2021 draft. Moving to Dallas provides a fresh start for Lance, who demonstrated his best performance during training camp this season in San Francisco. This showcases Trey Lance’s character, as he gave his all to present the best version of himself to Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers’ front office, despite facing challenging odds.
It’s crucial to acknowledge that during this offseason in Santa Clara, Lance was the second-best quarterback on the practice field. The decision to choose Sam Darnold over Lance as the backup to Brock Purdy, followed by the trade, weakens the 49ers’ quarterback room.
Lance’s presence on the roster would have cost the 49ers $9,301,434 against the 2023 salary cap, resulting in a dead cap hit of $8,361,434 this season, with a meager savings of $940,000. In 2024, the dead cap hit will be $5,540,956, offering an overall savings of $5,310,717 against the salary cap.
Dallas now faces the decision of whether to exercise the fifth-year option on Lance after this season. While Lance’s rookie contract runs through 2024, the Cowboys may opt for him over Dak Prescott, whose contract also extends through the 2024 season.
As for the 49ers, they hope this trade doesn’t echo the outcome of their last significant deal with Dallas in August 1992 when they sent Charles Haley to the Cowboys for second and third-round draft picks. That move proved pivotal for Dallas, leading to three Super Bowl victories in the subsequent four seasons.
