The Dallas Cowboys intend to keep Trey Lance around despite his five-interception performance in the team’s preseason finale.
The Cowboys allowed Lance the opportunity earn the No. 2 quarterback spot. He saw nearly all of the preseason reps and played the entirety of the team’s third and final exhibition against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Lance completed 73 of 113 passes (64.6%) for 662 yards and showed off his athletic ability in the preseason. However, he tossed five interceptions against the Chargers, showing he has a long way to go before becoming a viable option.
“Ups and downs for sure,” Lance said of his performance. “I turned the ball over too many times. I think that’s kind of the story. We had a chance to still win it at the end and yeah, I just have to take care of the ball better.
“This sucks. This is one that I’m not going to forget about anytime soon, but it’s part of it. You just have to flush it, turn the page and be able to do that.”
Luckily for Lance, he won’t have to worry about being cut. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reiterated that Lance will be on the 53-man roster.
“Do I need to see anymore from Trey Lance? Can we stop there? And the answer is yes,” Jones said on Sunday, August 25. “Yes. He’s going to be on the 53.”
Cowboys Have No Regrets About Trading for Lance
The Cowboys suprisingly made the trade for Lance last August, sending a fourth-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers for the former No. 3 overall pick. Jones has no regrets about making that deal.
“For a fourth-round pick,” Jones said. “Are you kidding me? Although we did get Dak (Prescott) with our second fourth-round pick (in 2016). But we’ve had some that didn’t play in the fourth round, too.”
The Cowboys see a lot of upside in Lance. He’ll have time to continue learning, and the team likes his trajectory.
“He’s just an ascending young talented quarterback that just loves to be coached,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “I wish we had three more preseason games just to get him out there, just to keep playing, because he had tremendous production. Yes, the turnovers are always the first thing we talk about. … There have always been four or five plays each game that he’ll learn from. But he continually gets better every time you give him a chance. I think that says a lot about him. He’s just a young guy that needs to play. I think he’ll play in this league for a long time.”
Cowboys Projected to Keep Cooper Rush as Backup
The Cowboys will make a final decision on their quarterback room in the coming days, with the roster being trimmed to 53 players. With Lance struggling, Jon Machota of The Athletic believes Dallas will keep three quarterbacks on the roster, with veteran Cooper Rush assuming the primary backup role.
“Overall, Lance didn’t do enough to take the No. 2 job from Rush,” Machota said. “If Prescott went down for a few games, Rush has shown he can steer the ship while Lance still carries questions. If Prescott went down for an extended period, the Cowboys could give Lance a long look.”
The Cowboys know what they’re getting with Rush, who has been with the team since 2017 and saw extended time as the starter in 2022. Rush went 4-1 in his starts, passing for 1,051 yards, 5 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He’s 5-1 overall in starting action.
Rush has played sparingly outside that 2022 window, attempting just 49 passes in his other five seasons combined. The Cowboys’ hope is that Prescott stays healthy and the backup quarterback conversation isn’t prominent when the regular season kicks off.
