Jerry Jones wants to see more out of Trey Lance, but his spot on the Dallas Cowboys‘ 53-man roster is guaranteed.
While speaking to reporters on Tuesday, August 20, the Cowboys team owner said that he wants to see more out of the former No. 3 overall draft pick – but also mentioned that he’ll be on the roster when the regular season begins.
Via Nick Harris of the Cowboys’ official website:
“I’d like to see us really be able to have our quarterback depth,” Jones said, via Nick Harris of the team website. “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.”
Trey Lance Has Seen Majority of Playing Time During Preseason
The 24-year-old Lance was acquired prior to the end of last season’s preseason from the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick. Although Lance didn’t appear in a single game during his first season in Dallas, the team obviously has high hopes for him. The Cowboys gave up a fourth-round draft pick for him and if Dak Prescott does leave in free agency next offseason, Lance could have a crack at the starting job.
Lance has received the majority of playing time during the Cowboys’ first two preseason games, with Dak Prescott not seeing any action and Cooper Rush throwing just six pass attempts. The 6-foot-4 quarterback has gone 40-for-64 for 339 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions with 78 yards and a rushing touchdown. He’s currently competing with Rush – who has served as the primary backup quarterback in recent seasons – for the No. 2 quarterback job behind Prescott.
With the Cowboys’ preseason finale on the horizon against the Los Angeles Chargers this week, it’s very possible that Lance not only starts, but plays the entirety of the game.
Mike McCarthy Compliments Trey Lance for Effort During Raiders Game
Head coach Mike McCarthy complimented Lance for his most recent efforts in a 27-12 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. Lance led a 13-play, 88-yard drive on Dallas’ last possession of the game, concluding with a two-yard rushing touchdown. He finished the game with a 98.1 passer rating after throwing for 151 passing yards and a touchdown with zero interceptions. That was a clear improvement over the preseason opener when Lance threw for 188 passing yards with no touchdowns and a 72.0 passer rating.
“I thought we improved today starting with Trey,” McCarthy told reporters after the game. “The third down conversions, we missed a couple there. But two 14-play drives, that’s incredible for preseason football. It just shows you his understanding and confidence, and he just needs to continue to play. He needs reps. He needs to play in live games particularly in the drop-back phase because he’s doing a very good job managing everything else. So I thought he clearly took a step today.”
While Lance may still be competing for the No. 2 job, one thing is for certain – his roster spot is locked in entering the 2024 season.
