Cowboys keep Dak Prescott emergency plan around for at least one more year

While the Dallas Cowboys have made it clear that Dak Prescott will be the team’s quarterback for the foreseeable future, they also have 2021 No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance, who will remain on the roster for 2024, per Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News.

Dallas choosing to retain Lance nets him a $4.25 million roster bonus, which increases his salary to $5.31 million for next season. However, the Cowboys will not pick up his fifth-year team option worth roughly $22.4 million.

Dallas Cowboys hang onto Trey Lance for 2024

Watkins suggests that hanging onto Lance was an easy decision for the Cowboys to make, citing that “team officials did not consider cutting Lance, whom they believe made tremendous strides last season.”

The Cowboys traded a fourth-round draft pick to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for Lance after the young signal-caller was beat out by Brock “Mr. Irrelevant” Purdy for the team’s starting quarterback job, so it makes sense for them to hang onto him and see what they have in a former top three draft pick, regardless of Prescott’s status in Dallas.

San Francisco traded three first-round picks and a third-round selection to move up and take Lance third overall in the 2021 NFL Draft but now finds himself in a position where he may be battling with veteran quarterback Cooper Rush for Dallas’ backup duties behind Prescott – if the Cowboys don’t cut Rush.

Since entering the league in 2021, Lance has appeared in eight games, only making four starts (2-2 record). In those eight contests, he has completed 54.9 percent of his pass attempts for 797 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions, adding 235 rushing yards and a score through the ground.

Lance may never be the quarterback many thought he would be when the 49ers mortgaged their future to get him, but the Cowboys are motivated to keep him on the roster and see if he can develop into something, at least for one more year. At worst, injuries are never something the team wants to think about, but contingency planning is important.

Considering what they gave up to acquire him, it’s a low-risk, high-reward move for Dallas.