When the Dallas Cowboys kick off their preseason finale against the Los Angeles Chargers, there will be little at stake for the team itself as the team slowly shifts its attention to the start of the regular season.
But for a good chunk of those taking the field, everything is at stake. There are only 53 spots on the team and for those in the roster bubble, Saturday's is a do-or-die type of ballgame.
And for quarterback Trey Lance, there could be millions of dollars hanging in the balance. Not because of his 53-man roster chances, something he seems to have secured already, but because it's potentially his last game action before hitting free agency in 2025.
While the NFL quarterback market is overshadowed for those signing deals worth over $50 million per year (Dak Prescott might make it $60M+ very soon), there's another side to it that is still almost as impressive: Non-franchise quarterbacks signing less expensive deals that are still in the double-digits territory.
Think about Sam Darnold, for instance. A former third overall pick just like Trey Lance, Darnold is on his fourth NFL team entering 2024, which is more of a sign that he's underachieved more than anything else.
Despite probably knowing all along they were targeting a first-round quarterback in the NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings still inked Darnold to a $10 million deal with $8.75 million fully guaranteed.
Then there's Gardner Minshew, an average starter that signed to the Las Vegas Raiders on a two-year deal worth $25M, with $15M being fully guaranteed. Or, to a lesser degree, 30-year-old Marcus Mariota got $5.4M to be with the Washington Commanders, who all along held the No. 2 overall pick.
This is all to say, even if Lance doesn't blow NFL teams away in the preseason, there will be a market waiting for him when he hits free agency in March.
The only scenario where that isn't the case is if he scares them away with a poor performance on Saturday. After all, Lance has had mixed results this August: In the opener, his game ranged ugly to acceptable. Week 2 was much better. Teams won't see a polished passer that's throwing with anticipation but will still see the strong arm and dangerous legs that made him a third overall pick in the first place.
Little by little though, NFL teams will be less inclined to bet that much money on the unpolished player if the bad aspects of his film keep coming back. When Lance takes that field this weekend, he'll likely be focused in doing his best to become QB2 of the Cowboys. But long-term implications are also involved.
He needs a decent game to stay on front offices' minds and just maybe, he won't need more snaps to cash in big time next March.
