Trey Lance has been a popular man this offseason due in large part to the Dallas Cowboys' hesitance to pay Dak Prescott. Picked up in a trade with the San Francisco 49ers in 2023, the Cowboys front office has insisted his addition had nothing to do with Prescott entering the final year of his deal in 2024.
With no extension as of yet, the speculation that they might not have been truthful continues to grow. Dallas is even expected to feature him in their offense heavily during training camp and the preseason — which might be their way of seeing if he can turn the corner.
Lance was inconsistent while playing for the San Francisco 49ers but there's still reason for hope. Not only is this a quarterback who showed enough promise while at North Dakota State to get drafted third overall, but he's also still incredibly young. In fact, the fourth-year pro is younger than both Bo Nix and Michael Penix, Jr. — who were each selected during the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
While it's not much of a difference, Lance is one day younger than Michael Penix, Jr., the eighth overall pick. Penix was born on May 8, 2000 while Lance was born on May 9. Nix also recently turned 24 but he's the elder statesman with a Feb. 25 birthday.
Youth alone isn't a reason to believe a quarterback will turn things around, but it's not out of the realm of possibility to have hope that Lance can put it all together. Several quarterbacks developed late and found success. Steve Young went on to have a Hall of Fame career despite not starting in San Francisco until he was in his 30s. More recently, Geno Smith found new life late in his career with the Seattle Seahawks.
Perhaps Lance can do the same — especially since he's still the same age as a couple of rookies.
