Trey Lance has been the third-string quarterback in Dallas for a reason. For as poorly as Cooper Rush just played in his first start of the season, he is still regarded as a better player than Lance. It’s why the Cowboys have already declared Rush the starter against the Texans in Week 11.
Timing, accuracy and decision making were all issues for Lance in the preseason. The battle for backup QB never really was a battle in the first place. Even on the heels of Rush’s 45-yard passing performance, the veteran is still likely the better QB of the two. Yet, regardless of that, the time to play Lance is now.
With the Cowboys playoff odds slipping below one percent, Dallas doesn’t have much to play for in 2024. Injuries, a lame duck coaching staff and an incomplete roster spelled doom from the start. Positioning themselves for a better tomorrow seems the new objective, and that involves playing Lance.
Whether Lance figures into the Cowboys future or not is not entirely important. At the moment he hasn’t shown he was the ability to be a viable back-up, let alone a starter somewhere. Without reps this season the Cowboys will likely just bid the former first rounder adieu in the offseason and get nothing in compensation. Playing him may produce the same result but it at least it has the potential to boost his value which could be beneficial in more ways than one.
One possible outcome is Lance might show just enough for the Cowboys to bring him back as a backup in 2025. Since both Lance and Rush are a free agents this March, Dallas is in the market for a backup, so why not kick the tires on someone already with the organization?
Another possible outcome if Lance plays is a different team likes what they see and signs him away from Dallas in free agency. Such a situation has the potential to give the Cowboys a compensatory pick in 2026. It probably wouldn’t be very high but even a late Day 3 addition is better than nothing.
Or maybe Lance just falls flat on his face and tanks his value further. Even that isn’t as bad as it sounds since his current value is regarded as below compensatory anyway. All it would do is sink Dallas lower in the standings this season giving the Cowboys a higher pick in the draft. Playing Lance for the sole reason of tanking isn’t a very noble attitude, but playing him for the possible benefits is both noble and wise.
If 2024 is really about evaluating talent and working for a better team in 2025 then Lance and a few other down roster players should be seeing more opportunities. Given the goals are no longer perfectly aligned between the lame duck coaching staff (wants to win today because there is no tomorrow) and the front office (ownership is always thinking long term) there’s a good chance this many never happen. That would be a mistake.
Even though Rush appears the better QB of the two, there’s still a compelling case to be made Lance should be starting the rest of the way.
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