Cowboys beat reporters aren’t sold on Trey Lance as QB2

Reporters from the Dallas Cowboys official website aren’t confident that Trey Lance can beat out Cooper Rush.

Jun 5, 2024; Frisco, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance (19) goes through a drill during practice at the Ford Center at the Star Training Facility in Frisco, Texas. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-USA TODAY Sports / Chris Jones-USA TODAY Sports

Entering his fourth season in the league, Trey Lance still has a lot to prove. The third overall pick in 2021 never developed into a starter for the San Francisco 49ers and didn’t see the field at all for the Dallas Cowboys in 2023.

That’s going to change this year, at least in the preseason. Dallas wants to get Lance as much exposure as possible and seeing him excel to the backup quarterback role would be the ideal result. That won’t be easy with Cooper Rush ahead of him, and those who cover the team for the official website aren’t sold on that outcome.

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The consensus was that Dallas might still elevate Lance as a way to justify their trade in 2023, but none of the four reporters who spoke on the topic were confident that he’s a better option than Rush. Nick Eatman was the most skeptical, saying he would be surprised if Lance was better than Rush, saying he will believe it when he sees it.

This is one of those 'I'll believe it when I see it' situations. Sure, Lance is supposed to beat out Cooper Rush for the backup job here in his fourth pro season. But he's also supposed to be the 49ers starting quarterback and that didn't happen either.

- Nick Eatman, DallasCowboys.com

Lance was supposed to be the future starter for the 49ers but didn’t have much experience at North Dakota State. Kyle Shanahan tried to bring him along slowly, allowing him to sit for the majority of his rookie season.

He was named the starter in 2022 but played just two games before being sent to the IR due to an ankle injury.

The Cowboys took a chance on his potential and will surely get hit with some harsh criticism if he never ascends beyond an inactive QB3. Considering how well Rush has performed when called upon, that’s a very real possibility.

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