SANTA CLARA — The Trey Lance Era has come to an end with the 49ers.
On Friday evening, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that Lance was traded to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2024 fourth-round pick.
Lance was scheduled to play as QB3 in the Niners’ preseason finale Friday against the Los Angeles Chargers after missing Wednesday’s practice to clear his head, following the news that Sam Darnold was named QB2.
The 49ers used three first-round picks and a third-rounder to move up from the No. 12 overall pick to the No. 3 overall pick for the 2021 NFL Draft. That No. 12 selection ended up being Cowboys star edge rusher Micah Parsons.
Lance never got a real shot to prove himself as QB1 after being Jimmy Garoppolo’s backup in 2021 and suffering a season-ending ankle/foot injury in Week 2 of the 2022 season. Ultimately, Lance's inexperience in college and the NFL held him back from getting a shot with the 49ers, who have Super Bowl aspirations and no time to let Lance take his lumps.
Earlier this week, Shanahan outlined how Lance has improved since missing almost all of last season, though it seems like a bit of posturing in hindsight.
“I think it helped him,” Shanahan said. “It always helps to play through things and go through that stuff. But for him to sit back last year and really get to watch some stuff and know what he wanted to focus on – because he did get that week-and-a-half of playing, he did get the whole training camp, the whole preseason – he knew exactly what he was in for. Unfortunately, he got hurt and didn’t get to go through it, but I think he made a positive out of it.”
The Niners are set to roll with Brock Purdy as their franchise quarterback now, as the 23-year-old has become the no-doubt QB1 after leading the team to eight straight wins and the NFC Championship last year. The 26-year-old Darnold won over the coaching staff during his training camp without much 'Wow' factor and has 68 total turnovers (55 interceptions, 13 fumbles) in 56 career NFL games. Brandon Allen, 30, is set to be 49ers QB3.
According to Spotrac, the Lance trade will save $940,000 this season and $5.31 million next season, a total savings of $6.25 million.
Now Lance figures to be a backup option for Dak Prescott, who has two seasons left on the four-year, $160 million contract he signed in 2021. The Cowboys also have 29-year-old Cooper Rush, who has spent the past five seasons in Dallas and gone 5-1 as a starter the past two years.
