A Cowboys-Lions trade to add Jared Goff insurance the Detroit QB room

The Detroit Lions' backup QB job is precariously split between Hendon Hooker and Nate Sudfield. The former missed his entire rookie season due to injury. The latter has appeared in six NFL games since Washington drafted him in 2016.

Maybe Hooker shows up and shines in training camp, but the Lions need a better insurance plan in case Jared Goff gets hurt. The backup QB spot is more important than ever, as the San Francisco 49ers so helpfully proved a couple years ago. The best contenders can generally stay afloat when their Pro Bowl signal-callers go down.

The Lions could decide to let the Hooker experiment unfold and pray that Goff stays healthy. Or, Detroit can navigate the trade market in search of a more palatable QB2. One potential option is a Jerry Jones favorite in the Texas heartland. Trey Lance becomes a free agent at season's end and he's buried on the Dallas Cowboys depth chart. It shouldn't take too much to land him in Detroit.

Here's what a trade might look like.

Cowboys-Lions trade to put Trey Lance behind Jared Goff in Detroit QB room

The first instinct is to fork over a fourth-round pick, which is exactly what Dallas gave up for Lance last summer. The Lions don't own a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, however, so the right combination of lesser picks will have to do. In this instance, a fifth-round pick and the Cowboys' own seventh-round pick should be enough to get Jerry Jones on the phone and engaged in a conversation.

There are a few noteworthy factors at play here. First, the free agency bit. Lance is essentially a one-year rental, so the Cowboys can't expect peak value in return. Lance also has four starts under his belt through three seasons, so it's not like there's much of a resumé for Dallas to leverage in negotiations.

On the other hand, the Cowboys need to carefully consider the future. Detroit just locked up Jared Goff on a significant long-term contract. He is the Lions' starting QB for the next four years at least. The Cowboys, meanwhile, are locked in a stubbornly slow-moving negotiation process with Dak Prescott, who is technically eligible to hit free agency next spring.

If Dallas does not secure Prescott long term, Lance is invaluable insurance. He shouldn't be too hard to re-sign and Dallas traded for him, presumably, to gain first-hand insight into his development as a former top-3 pick. Lance shouldn't be the Cowboys' Plan B at quarterback, but if Dallas gets too cute with Prescott's contract demands, everything is on the table. Starting Lance next season would certainly justify the price Jones once paid — a mere fourth-round pick.

So, the Cowboys' own uncertainty could drive up the price or keep Lance off the board altogether. That is a possibility, but not necessarily a probability. It's worth noting that Lance isn't even QB2 on the depth chart, as Dallas still prefers Cooper Rush in a pinch. There is also the purely illogical nature of letting Prescott walk. That would be a catastrophic decision from the Cowboys' front office. Even by Dallas' standards.

Assuming Dallas doesn't have any delusions of grandeur about Lance and his future, this trade is perfectly beneficial for all involved. Dallas cashes in at roughly equal value to the initial Lance trade and Detroit gets a proper backup behind Goff. It's even a win for Lance, who moves up the depth chart and lands with a better team.