NFL Network’s Jane Slater reported before kickoff that Trey Lance will start at quarterback in the Dallas Cowboys’ final game of the season in Week 18 against the Washington Commanders.
Lance, 24, was making his first start for the Cowboys since the team acquired him from the San Francisco 49ers before last season. He appeared in three games and completed 5 of 7 passes for 22 yards.
In the 23-19 loss to Washington, Lance completed 20-of-34 passes for 244 yards. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer frequently called plays that kept Lance out of the pocket and away from the command’s pass rush, making it easier to finish.
Cooper Rush has started the past eight games for Dallas, replacing Dak Prescott after he injured his hamstring in Week 9 and required season-ending surgery. Rush passed for 1,844 yards, 12 touchdowns, and five interceptions in eight games (12 total), completing 60.7 percent of his passes.
Because of Lance’s starting role, Rush was unable to earn the $250,000 incentive that is given to him for playing 55% of the Cowboys’ games this season. He played 52.3% of the team’s snaps and needed 65 plays to reach that incentive, according to Pro Football Talk. Rush had already earned a $250,000 bonus for playing 45% of Dallas’ snaps.
Lance was selected third overall in the 2021 NFL Draft by the 49ers out of North Dakota State University and has passed for 2,947 yards and 30 touchdowns, while rushing for 1,325 yards and 18 points in three seasons. However, he only appeared in 17 games and became a very raw player to not only play college football at the FCS level, but to also be in the NFL.
He ultimately beat out Jimmy Garoppolo to become the 49ers’ starter during the 2022 season, but played in just two games before suffering a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2.
That gave Brock Purdy an opportunity to beat out Lance as the starter in 2023 training camp. Lance entered the season as the 49ers’ No. 3 QB and was traded to the Cowboys for a fourth-round pick.
