Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said after Monday night’s loss to the Texans that he doesn’t want to see Trey Lance before the end of the season. The Cowboys gave up a fourth-round pick for the quarterback, and Lance, who has yet to start a game in Dallas, becomes a free agent in March.
The trade will likely go down as one of the worst in team history.
49ers general manager John Lynch admitted his team got more for Lance than expected.
San Francisco used the 124th overall pick on safety Malik Mustapha, who has played in 10 games with six starts, but the Cowboys could have selected a running back at that spot. Bucs rookie Bucky Irving (125th overall), 49ers rookie Isaac Guerendo (129th overall) and Jets rookie Braelon Allen (134th overall) have had success this season.
However, the Cowboys would do it again.
For the first time, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones admitted that uncertainty about Dak Prescott’s future prompted the August 2023 trade.
The Cowboys didn’t sign Prescott to a contract extension until a year later.
“(Lance) is a top pick, a guy we had at the top,” Stephen Jones said on 105.3 The Fan on Friday. “As you know, Dak was looking for a contract and we wanted to take a look at some good, young talent and we didn’t feel like we could get anything from a quality standpoint like we could get with Trey. As it turns out, we ended up signing Dak long-term. So obviously that means a little less need in terms of having to rush to do something with Trey. In fact, it makes it difficult because I’m sure Trey wants to see what’s out there now that we’ve committed to Dak. in the long term. But I don’t I regret it at all.”
Jerry Jones said Cooper Rush will continue playing because it gives the Cowboys (3-7) the best chance to win with Prescott out for the season with a torn hamstring. So Lance will continue to sit and then probably leave without even starting a regular season game.
The Cowboys will have given up a fourth-round pick and paid him $6.25 million for two seasons with nothing.