Dallas Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance entered Saturday's preseason finale with a lot of the line. Not only was it his last chance at proving to the Cowboys he's a better No. 2 to Dak Prescott than Cooper Rush, who has a 5-1 career record, but it was also his last opportunity at a live audition before hitting free agency in March of 2025 barring any injuries.
The game was the perfect microcosm of Lance's career thus far: The talent was evidenced as he made some of the best throws he's made in the NFL yet, as I outlined in my takeaways from the loss to the Los Angeles Chargers :
He got off to a confident start early in the game and even made his best throw of the preseason hitting Tyron Billy-Johnson for a big game on the sidelines against Cover 2. He found Ryan Flournoy on a fade shot in the endzone that only his receiver could catch. Late in the second quarter, he hit TE John Stephens Jr. over the seams with deadly accuracy.
In addition to all that, he showed off how dangerous he is as a runner. He's fast, elusive and knows how to make defenders miss. And yet... the unpolished passer version of Lance couldn't hide for long, finishing the evening with five interceptions to his name.
And the biggest problem is... they were ugly picks. Accuracy and vision woes did the trick, with Lance not seeing the field well multiple times and forcing the ball into traffic. It's the same kind of problems he's been dealing with since his days in San Francisco. Out of structure, Lance can pull a rabbit out of his hat on his way to the highlight reel. Within structure, he has yet to put everything together.
Despite the five picks, Lance is still expected to make the 53-man roster . After all, the Cowboys did trade a fourth rounder for him and are paying him over five million guaranteed this year. But his future is somewhat blurry, as teams know he needs reps yet it's a challenge to give him playing time with what he looks like today.
But according to head coach Mike McCarthy, Lance didn't hurt his chances at future playing time in the league, making a bold statement following Lance's five-interception game.
"He continually gets better every time you give him a chance," McCarthy told reporters via The Athletic's Jon Machota . "I think that says a lot about him. He's just a young guy that needs to play. I think he'll play in this league for a long time."
Is Mike McCarthy's take on Trey Lance accurate?
Saying Lance will play in the league for a long time certainly is a strong statement to make. Let's break it down.
The Cowboys claim Lance needs more reps. But they also clearly believe in Cooper Rush. As far as 2024 is concerned, I'd venture to say Rush is safe as QB2. Some fans and media believe Lance's superior talent makes him the best option. But the coaching staff is likely not looking for someone who can win them the games at QB2. Instead, they're looking for somebody who won't lose them for them.
Lance's fourth interception of the game, for example, is the perfect example of a misfire that can easily cost you a ballgame, as it was returned to a touchdown. Him not seeing a defensive end at all is something that has been common in his short NFL journey. Lance also had two fumbles on the game.
That being said, McCarthy might not be off about Lance's long-term prospects in the NFL. After all, the talent is there. We've seen quarterback-desperate teams bet on many unproven players and in 2025, it wouldn't be surprising to see a team target the former third overall pick in hopes of fixing him. The lack of experience going back to his high school days is something that works in his favor, as many believe it's just reps that he needs. Not at the NFL level, but just football reps overall. He just hasn't played a whole lot.
If it comes to that, fortunately for teams the price might've went down significantly after this preseason. Lance appears to know it, too.
"This sucks," Lance said via Machota . "This is one I'm not going to forget about any time soon, but it's part of it. You just got to flush it and turn the page."
Will teams turn the page?
Related: Unexpected DaRon Bland injury makes Cowboys' biggest mistake of the offseason look even worse
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