The Cowboys‘ quarterback lineup gains a fresh face in the form of Trey Lance. The buzz was sky-high in 2021, as folks were expecting Trey Lance to rise as the top gun-slinger for the 49ers in NFL town. But hold on. ESPN just dropped a bombshell- the 49ers shipped Lance over to the Dallas Cowboys, snagging a fourth-round ticket for the 2024 draft as the fee.
Injuries were dogging Lance like a persistent linebacker, but now he can finally exhale a sigh of sweet relief. Fast forward about two and a half years from when he got drafted to steer the 49ers’ ship – Lance isn’t the constant spotlight magnet in San Francisco anymore.
Trey Lance’s injury struggles
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The 23-year-old quarterback was expected to dazzle fans and paint the town red with the 49ers’ colors in 2022. But, during his second game, he took a hit that sent his ankle south for the winter, sidelining him for the season. That’s when backup quarterback Brock Purdy got the nod and steered the 49ers all the way to the NFC Championship Game.
Back in 2021, during a preseason showdown at Levi’s Stadium, Lance banged up his index finger on a Raiders helmet. That seemingly innocuous event put a real spanner in the works, messing with his throwing mojo throughout the following year. He did get another shot when Jimmy Garoppolo took a timeout in week four, but it wasn’t all touchdowns and cheers. Lance got hit with a bum knee, making way for Garoppolo’s swift return.
Lance’s third rodeo as a starter kicked off in the season opener against Chicago. It was a medley of highs and lows. Fast-forward to week two against Seattle, and Lance’s scramble ended in a broken ankle courtesy of a ruthless tackle. Injuries seemed to camp out on the star’s doorstep, whether it was game day or just plain old practice.
As the curtain falls on the Garoppolo era in San Fran, it’s now the dawn of the Trey Lance epoch in Dallas.
Trey Lance’s future crossroads
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The scene was set on August 25, 2023, when General Manager John Lynch and Head Coach Kyle Shanahan gave the nod to the trade. But despite handing him the reins in the 49ers’ offense last season, the team ain’t coughing up any moolah to cover Lance’s salary. It’s the end of the line for Lance’s chapter with the 49ers, and Head Coach Kyle Shanahan summed it up best: “It was time to move on for him and for us.”
According to the insiders at ESPN, Lance’s piggy bank is set to balloon with $940,000 in 2023, and the pot sweetens with a $5.3 million payday in 2024. Once this season’s a wrap, the Cowboys get to play puppet master and decide whether Lance gets a fifth-year extension in 2025.
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Now, with him in tow, that’s three quarterbacks riding shotgun on the Dallas active roster for the regular season showdowns.
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