What does Cowboys' trade for Trey Lance say about Dak Prescott?

The Dallas Cowboys traded a fourth-round draft pick to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for quarterback Trey Lance on Friday. Naturally, everyone is wondering about the motivations behind the trade that took the NFL by storm hours before the 49ers took the field for their final preseason game of the year. Mainly, many are […]

Mauricio Rodriguez — Dallas Cowboys News Writer

Aug 25, 2023 8:12 PM EDT

Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks Trey Lance and Dak Prescott via USA Today Sports

The Dallas Cowboys traded a fourth-round draft pick to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for quarterback Trey Lance on Friday.

Naturally, everyone is wondering about the motivations behind the trade that took the NFL by storm hours before the 49ers took the field for their final preseason game of the year.

Mainly, many are questioning, what does it say about starting quarterback Dak Prescott? Does this move make his seat hot? Is it a move designed to put some pressure on him? Let's dive in.

Trey Lance isn't gunning for Dak Prescott's job

Sorry to burst your bubble so quickly, but it seems extremely unlikely this is where the Cowboys' mindset is at. In reality, the front office has been all-in on Prescott since the moment they signed him to a four-year contract extension in 2021. Since that moment, Dak's deal was set up in a way that would force the Cowboys to extend him a second time.

It's true that Prescott's cap situation in 2024 needs to change. As of today, he counts toward $59 million in cap space and that is unlikely to stand before next year. He has a no-trade clause and would represent $62 million in dead money if cut. An extension, in fact, is still the most likely outcome for the Cowboys and their quarterback.

Instead, Lance's arrival means trouble for Cooper Rush and Will Grier. Rush has solidified his status as QB2 after going 5-1 in six career starts in Dallas and having a decent training camp and preseason. However, he provides virtually no upside moving forward. Lance could force the Cowboys to carry three quarterbacks on their 53-man roster unless the team is planning on a last-minute release of Rush.

Developing QBs is smart business in the NFL and Mike McCarthy has usually done that in previous career stops. This offseason, the Cowboys worked out several mid-round and late-round quarterback prospects ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft. Jerry Jones was publicly raving about TCU's Max Duggan and they met with Tennessee's Hendon Hooker and Purdue's Aidan O'Connell, as well.

The Cowboys walked away from the Draft without any quarterback, however. Perhaps a fourth-round draft pick is worth a shot on somebody whose potential upside made him the third-overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft.

The front office has never shied away from bargain-shopping and this is likely what they saw in this situation. Lance could provide an immediate upgrade at QB2 while also providing hope for upside.

But pressure for Dak? Highly doubt it. If anything, they're gaining a tiny bit of leverage in a future negotiation where Prescott owned all of it.