Latest quarterback injury news opens the door for Cowboys' Trey Lance trade

The NFL preseason has landed its first major blow to the league's lineup of quarterbacks as Minnesota Vikings rookie J.J. McCarthy has been knocked out for the year after knee surgery revealed a fully torn meniscus that needed repair.

The bad news might present an opportunity for the Dallas Cowboys, who continue to evaluate backup quarterback Trey Lance after acquiring him via a fourth-round draft pick in last year's preseason.

The Cowboys didn't exercise the young quarterback's fifth-year option nor did they extend him, meaning Lance will likely head to free agency in 2025. The front office, which is notorious for how much they value draft picks, might just be interested in getting something in return before parting ways with him, specially considering Lance has yet to pass Cooper Rush on the depth chart for QB2.

It's also not crazy to suggest the Vikings might be interested. At the 2023 trade deadline and in the wake of Kirk Cousins' season-ending injury, The Athletic's Diana Russini reported Minnesota held a "brief discussion about perhaps calling the Dallas Cowboys to trade for Trey Lance." The Vikings later traded for Joshua Dobbs for a sixth-round draft pick.

But the fact that Lance was on their list of potential targets goes to show there might be a degree of interest in the 24-year-old quarterback.

One thing that could very well keep the Vikings from exploring such a scenario is the fact that Sam Darnold is set to start for Minnesota. And after all, Darnold already beat out Lance in a quarterback battle to back up Brock Purdy a year ago when both were at San Francisco.

And yet, McCarthy's injury leaves the Vikings with Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall on the depth chart. Could they be interested in giving up a Day 3 draft pick for Lance's upside? And almost as importantly, would the Cowboys accept such a deal?

It would be a surprise if such a move happens, but the Cowboys' love for draft picks, Lance's spot in the depth chart in Dallas, and the Vikings' previous interest in the young QB is a good mix of ingredients that the very least opens the door for a trade.

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