How former 49ers draft pick Lance fared in his first Cowboys start originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Former 49ers quarterback Trey Lance made his first Dallas Cowboys start Sunday — he just had to wait until their 2024 NFL season finale for his chance.
Lance, whom San Francisco selected No. 3 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, played decently in the Cowboys’ 23-19 loss to the playoff-bound Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium.
He completed 20 of 34 passes for 244 yards and zero touchdowns with zero interceptions and an 81.0 passer rating. Lance also rushed for 26 yards on six carries.
Here are some of the fourth-year NFL veteran’s highlights:
Lance looked formidable in his first opportunity in months. His last real chance came via the 2024 preseason, where the 24-year-old completed 73 of 113 passes (64 percent) for 662 yards and two passing touchdowns with five interceptions. He also ran for 168 rushing yards and a score on 24 carries.
While Lance had some solid moments against Washington on Sunday, he also whiffed on a potential touchdown pass to Dallas running back Rico Dowdle.
Still, playing Lance made sense for Dallas after it missed out on the postseason.
The former top prospect could use any reps he could get. Playing Lance instead of fellow signal-caller Cooper Rush also saved Cowboys Jerry Jones a buck. Rush’s contract consists of a $500,000 incentive that would have been reached had he played 55 percent of his team’s offensive snaps this season — which he was prevented from doing. Money just means more at Jerry World, and Lance was Dallas’ cheapest option.
Lance will be a free agent in 2025. His future is unknown, but, at least for his sake, he enters the offseason with a backup-worthy sample reel to sell teams in meetings.
He shouldn’t expect to see any Brock Purdy money, though.
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