Jimmy Garoppolo Reacts to Cowboys Trade for QB Trey Lance

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo praises newly-acquired Dallas Cowboys signal-caller Trey Lance, his former teammate

The Dallas Cowboys took the NFL world by surprise on Friday when they acquired quarterback Trey Lance from the San Francisco 49ers.

Lance, the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, had fallen out of favor with the 49ers after he lost the backup job Sam Darnold last week. He then requested a trade out of San Francisco, and soon enough, he was the newest Cowboy. Lance now gets a fresh start in Dallas, presumably as the No. 3 quarterback behind starter Dak Prescott and backup Cooper Rush.

Clearly, Lance's career hasn't gone as planned considering his draft pedigree. If anyone knows how difficult being a quarterback in the NFL can be, it's Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, Lance's former 49ers teammate. Even though the two are no longer teammates, Garoppolo is still supporting Lance every step of the way.

"Excited for Trey. Just a new opportunity for him," Garoppolo said on NFL Total Access. "Things didn't work out in San Francisco for whatever reasons, but glad that he gets another shot, man. This league's all about opportunities, and when you get a fresh one like that, you've just got to take advantage of it.

"Everyone has their own path and everything like that. It's never going to be easy, but it's how you come out the other end of it. So I'm always excited for him, man. He's a brother of mine. Always pulling for him."

Lance and Garoppolo had an interesting dynamic in their two years together in San Francisco. The 49ers drafted Lance to be Garoppolo's heir, but he spent most of his rookie season as the backup. Lance earned the starting job last season, but a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2 led to Garoppolo re-taking the role before suffering a season-ending injury of his own.

Despite the competition between the two quarterbacks, Lance and Garoppolo are still very close to this day.

"Trey's a brother of mine, man, so like I said before, I'm always pulling for him. I think he's got a bright future in this league. Dude's got talent. Just got to get him out there."

Garoppolo can also relate to the position Prescott is now in, where a newly-acquired young quarterback is looking over his shoulder. While Lance doesn't pose an immediate threat to Prescott's starting job, Garoppolo advised the veteran quarterback to take added the competition in stride.

"There's always a younger guy trying to come in, and obviously, the coaches want younger, cheaper players to do something that they think is better than you," Garoppolo said. "But that's what makes this league so great, man. It pushes you"

Prescott remains the unquestioned starter in Dallas, but the Cowboys will be counting on Lance to be ready if the opportunity calls. ... someday.