Since the moment the Dallas Cowboys traded for quarterback Trey Lance in August of 2023, expectations have been for him to eventually take over the backup role, downgrading Cooper Rush to QB3 in the process. Surely, it would be Lance backing up Prescott by 2024.
That doesn't seem anything close to a guarantee going into this year's training camp, however, as Cowboys Nation might be getting this storyline all wrong. Sure, Lance will put up a fight and has a legit shot at winning the battle. After all, he's the one with the outstanding arm strength and athletic talent that far exceeds Rush's.
But don't get it twisted: Rush won't hand the job over that easily and unless Lance proves he can actually play the position consistently, he might find himself inactive for the second consecutive year in Dallas.
Recently, writers for the official Cowboys website offered their takes on Lance's chances of winning the backup job and had some very telling quotes to offer. Below are a couple that really stood out:
Nick Eatman: " But Rush has been better in the brief things we've seen in the offseason. Rush has a good command of what the Cowboys are trying to do schematically and let's face it, Rush has been better than Lance (and a lot of quarterbacks) when he's been asked to play. I think if it's a fair competition, I can see Rush still being the No. 2 quarterback heading into the season."
Kurt Daniels: " Unless Lance really jumps off the page this coming August, I would think they stick with what they know."
In other words, whatever it is that Lance has to prove to become the top backup on the team, he has yet to do so. It's totally possible that the Cowboys witness him make a major jump throughout camp and the preseason games, in which he's expected to play a lot . But so far, it sure doesn't sound like the coaching staff views him as an automatically better alternative to Rush.
Keep in mind, Lance is not under contract beyond 2024 so even the upside advantage he has over Rush is somewhat limited because the Cowboys don't have long-term control over his future. If the team ends up extending Dak Prescott, chances are they won't be bringing Lance back for another year with the team just based on the likely price tag that would entail.
For now, the young quarterback has to worry about proving that he can see the field at a high, consistent level and make the correct reads. No one questions his physical talent but early in his careers, vision is mostly what has stuck out as a negative for him. We'll see if a year learning through Mike McCarthy's so-called quarterback school has changed things for him.
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