Cowboys Could Strike Quarterback Trade With Vikings

The Dallas Cowboys face plenty of decisions at quarterback, and these go beyond a new contract for Dak Prescott. Last season, Dallas carried three quarterbacks on the team’s roster with Cooper Rush and Trey Lance joining Prescott.

During the preseason, Rush has continued to be the backup quarterback behind Prescott. All this has CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin labeling Lance as a potential trade candidate. The Minnesota Vikings make a lot of sense as a potential destination for Lance.

“The luster has worn off Lance quite a bit in recent years, with the former No. 3 overall draft pick struggling to secure the top backup job for the Dallas Cowboys,” Benjamin wrote in an August 15, 2024, story titled, “10 NFL players who could be traded next: Kenny Pickett, Trey Lance among potential candidates to be dealt.”

“Still, at just 24, the ex-San Francisco 49ers prospect possesses long-term upside that could intrigue needier teams at the position. Dallas might just as well retain him with Dak Prescott entering a contract year, but considering the Cowboys are also letting Lance play out his rookie deal, it’s possible they’ve already seen enough.”

The Vikings Make a Lot of Sense as a Potential Trade Destination for Cowboys QB Trey Lance

If the Cowboys are to explore a trade for Lance, what teams are the likely landing spots? Benjamin identified the Vikings, Los Angeles Chargers and Miami Dolphins.

Let’s focus on the Vikings, who could be a fit for several reasons. The most obvious is rookie quarterback JJ McCarthy is slated to miss the entire season after undergoing surgery to repair a knee injury.

Secondly, there is a bit of an added bonus as Lance is a Minnesota product. Lance had a standout career at Marshall High School in Minnesota before moving on to North Dakota State.

Trey Lance’s Trade Value Could Make It More Enticing to Keep the Quarterback

Despite all the trade chatter, the Cowboys could opt to keep Lance. The quarterback played much better in his second preseason outing.

Lance threw for 151 yards and a touchdown while completing 65% of his passes. The playmaker also added 34 rushing yards and a rushing TD. Lance has been a popular trade candidate given the quarterback has a $5.3 million cap hit this season.

This is a lot of money for a player projected to be a third-stringer. It also remains to be seen what Dallas would be able to land in a trade for Lance.

The Cowboys gave up a fourth-round selection to acquire Lance from the San Francisco 49ers, but there is no guarantee Dallas will even be able to get this same return.

Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones on Trey Lance’s Future: ‘He’s Going to Be on the 53’

The one thing that appears to be a certainty is Lance will make the Cowboys final 53-man roster, even if he is unable to unseat Rush for the backup position. This takes releasing Lance off the table. Owner Jerry Jones has already declared Lance will be on the roster, regardless of how the rest of the preseason shakes out.

“I’d like to see us really be able to have our quarterback depth,” Jones said, per DallasCowboys.com. “I’d like to see him get some more work in this weekend, that would be number-one.”

“Do I need to see any more from Trey Lance? The answer is yes, but he’s going to be on the 53.”