Trey Lance has had his first practice as a Dallas Cowboy. But despite being a much-ballyhooed Top-3 draft pick just a couple years ago, the 23-year-old is now soaking up his role of the new kid in town.
“Very excited to be here,” he told reporters at The Star on Tuesday. “For me, it’s just learning, taking it one day at a time. Not really trying to look too far forward or anything like that, but really, right now, just kind of be a sponge and learn and enjoy every day.”
It’s been a whirlwind for the Minnesota native, who the Cowboys acquired in a trade with San Francisco late Friday. He completed his physical on Sunday, and he spent Monday meeting coaches and attending meetings. Tuesday saw him at his first practice: trying to learn the offense, the playbook, and his teammates’ names in the middle of an extremely tumultuous cut day.
But the Xs and Os have been the main thing.
“Man, nothing but knowledge in all these meetings,” Lance confirmed. “It’s been awesome for me, it’s been fun. Kind of a breath of fresh air to learn a new offense. Being around the guys these last two days, I feel like I’ve learned so much, just ball.”
Much of Lance’s tutoring will come at the hands of Dak Prescott. Some outside the organization read the Lance trade as some sort of message to Prescott about his long-term job security, but the Minnesota native explained that he and the two-time Pro Bowler are already off to a solid start as teammates.
“He welcomed me with open arms,” Lance said of Prescott. “That meant a lot to me. I know this business is crazy.”
Trey Lance in his first practice with the #DallasCowboys, including some instruction from Mike McCarthy. pic.twitter.com/0mz7OCGR7L
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisDC) August 30, 2023
“He’s a guy that’s obviously played at a very high level for a very long time, so nothing but obviously just tons and tons of respect for him, as I think he deserves and gets from across the league. For me, just trying to learn everything I possibly can from him.”
That learning will come in a place that Lance has at least some familiarity with. His quarterback coach works out of Fort Worth, and Lance spent some time there in April, refining his mechanics with Patrick Mahomes.
And while in college at North Dakota State, Lance visited Toyota Stadium in Frisco for the 2020 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game. He led the undefeated Bison to a 28-20 win that day (over James Madison and former Cowboys QB Ben DiNucci) and left as the game’s MVP.
His stats in that game? Just 6-of-10 passing for 72 yards, but Lance was a machine on the ground, rushing 30 times for 166 yards and a score.
“Great memories in Frisco,” he smiled. “Hopefully continue to make more.”
Also on the NDSU team that season was fullback Hunter Luepke, now a Cowboys teammate of Lance’s after himself making the 53-man roster on Tuesday.
Cowboys rookie RB Hunter Luepke gives new No. 3 QB Trey Lance a familiar face on 53-man roster. They were teammates at North Dakota State. “I’d probably seen Trey two times since he’s been in the league, so it was good to catch up. I’m glad that he’s a Cowboy.”
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) August 30, 2023
A reunion between Lance and Luepke is just part of a total change of scenery that both the Cowboys and Lance hope will pay off for the passer.
“This fresh start, it definitely feels great.”
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Lance had known the writing was on the wall for some time, after injuries and the meteoric rise of Brock Purdy paved the way for his inevitable exit from the 49ers.
He kept his head down and continued working for the team that drafted him third overall in 2021, but he admits that news of his trade came with more than just a sense of relief.
“I really tried to not expect anything one way or another,” Lance told media members, “but I can say that when I heard ‘Cowboys,’ I had a big smile on my face.”
It was- and will continue to be- quite a plot twist in the Trey Lance story. But now he has the opportunity to write a new chapter, in a new setting, with a whole new cast of characters.
“It’s not how I expected it to go; it’s not how I think a lot of people expected it to go,” he said. “But I believe that everything happens for a reason, and I think I’m here for a reason. Regardless of what it is, just want to try to find a way to help the team.”
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