Could Trey Lance be Cowboys’ best backup plan?

David Helman

Dallas Cowboys Insider

What if the most important player for the Dallas Cowboys doesn’t start a game in 2024?

If it sounds silly, bear with me. Because it’s hard not to daydream about the future given the Cowboys’ present circumstances. This week marks the beginning of their OTAs, serving as another reminder that Dak Prescott inches closer to the final year of his contract. 

Predictably, Prescott spoke to reporters about the most noteworthy contract negotiation in the NFL on Wednesday. The next three months could be quite the countdown to see if the Cowboys can sign him for the long term before the season starts.

But we’ve talked ad nauseam about Prescott, so let’s shift the focus — specifically to one of the guys taking reps behind him.

This summer will offer the first real look at Trey Lance as a Cowboy, given that he arrived from San Francisco at the end of last year’s training camp and did not participate in any games in 2023.

From the sounds of it, we’re going to get an extended look. Talking to reporters on Wednesday, Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy acknowledged the desire to see Lance get plenty of works in the coming months, including the team’s three preseason games.

“We’re trying to get him as many reps as we can throughout this offseason program, and he will take a large part of the preseason,” McCarthy said. “That’s the design. Him and I talk about preseason quite often, because that’s what we’re building towards.”

That’s interesting on two levels. The easy one is that things are shaping up for a backup quarterback competition in camp. Cooper Rush has one year remaining on his contract and has been the team’s backup since 2021, posting a 5-1 record when getting a chance to start. To be fair to him, Rush has fended off endless speculation about his job security and performed admirably when given the chance.

Still, Lance does possess the natural ability and athleticism that got him drafted…


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Publish date : 2024-05-23 19:43:46

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