The 49ers have found their trade partner for former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the young quarterback will now head to Dallas to compete for the backup job behind Dak Prescott. San Francisco receives a return on Lance of a 2024 fourth-round pick, according to a later Schefter tweet. 
One day after general manager John Lynch claimed Lance would “most likely” remain a 49er, the Lance experiment is now over in the Bay Area. After trading three first-round picks and a third-round pick to swap draft slots with the Dolphins in order to select Lance, the 49ers only saw four starts in two years and a fourth-round pick for their major investment.
Injuries and the emergence of last year’s Mr. Irrelevant, Brock Purdy, contributed to Lance’s lack of opportunities and success in his first two seasons. Now, with fellow former first-round pick Sam Darnold coming in to claim the backup quarterback job in San Francisco, Lance had found himself sliding down the depth chart in his third year. The 49ers will move forward with Purdy and Darnold in 2023.
Dallas is secure with Prescott at starting quarterback. They do have a need for a strong backup passing option considering Prescott hasn’t played a full season for the Cowboys since 2019. Over the past three years, Prescott has missed 17 of a possible 50 games. Dallas has been lucky to win eight of the last 10 games Prescott has sat out, but the potential Lance still holds as a former high draft pick still presents the opportunity for improvement at the position behind Prescott.
The money is an interesting aspect looking forward at the deal. Prescott is set for a contract year in 2024 in which he will hold a $59.46MM cap hit. He has a no-trade clause and is not able to be franchise-tagged, so the only solution out of that egregious cap number is an extension, a restructured contract, or getting Prescott to waive his no-trade clause for a preferred trade destination. Lance, on the other hand, is set to earn $940K this season and $1.55MM next year with a $4.26MM roster bonus. The Cowboys will also get the decision of whether or not to exercise Lance’s fifth-year option in 2025.
In the immediate future, Lance will come in and compete with Cooper Rush for the primary backup position behind Prescott. There’s likely a hope in Dallas that not only will Lance beat out Rush for the QB2 role, but that eventually, Lance might provide them with a serviceable option should they choose to move on from Prescott. Obviously, Lance hasn’t shown that ability to consistently start, but the Cowboys are holding out hope that he can still develop into more than we saw in San Francisco.
It’s finally official, though: Lance will get a fresh start in Dallas. After failing to stay on the field for various reasons in San Francisco, Lance will attempt to solidify a spot in the NFL with the Cowboys over the next two or three years.
At least MN did not bite and all those rumors will end. Unless he gets dropped by Dallas. I always thought it was reach to take him that high. Hindsight is always 20/20 ….
49ers should have received a 5th Round pick for him instead.
That is where the 49ers have really thrived over the last several years, ultimately finding late round gem after late round gem.
At this rate, the 49ers should just go ahead and trade all their Day1 and Day2 picks for Day 3 picks. If they continued their trend, then they could build the next dynasty in no time!! lol
The Cowboys are hoping they are contenders again so it’ll be a late fourth rounder.
Ricky Williams for the whole draft would like a word
Why do the Cowboys want him? Did he get arrested for something? Is he maturing? News at 11.
Big difference is that Ricky Williams could actually play. He ran for over 1,800 yards in one season and for 10,000 in his career. Lance has shown no signs that he can be a effective starting QB in the NFL.
49ers draft trade with Miami is officially the worst in NFL history
Not for Miami, but I know what you mean. I’m honestly surprised they got a 4th for him. I assumed a 6th
You’re either a child who hasn’t experienced much of the league or you have insane recently bias. Can’t be the worst trade ever when the Niners have spent the last two years in the championship game… not to mention they ended up recovering a 4th rounder, they didn’t have to cut him. I swear todays generation can’t evaluate anything
That the team soldiered on and still made the playoffs while he “redshirted” doesn’t absolve them of this bust. Using 3 first round picks to grab a guy 3rd overall and then get extremely lucky to get a 4th in return just 2 years later is definitely a bust.
How well they did as a team the last 2 years has absolutely nothing to do with if the trade was good or not. They traded 3 1st round picks and a 3rd for 4 games of Lance and a 4th rounder. That’s terrible, but they felt the need to take the chance, and they did it. I respect that more than teams sitting around never taking chances.
True, which is why Philly went all in on Wentz (also from NDSU) a few years earlier. But at least Wentz was a bonafide starter and MVP caliber performer when healthy. Franchise QBs don’t grow on trees, so when you identify a target you have to go all in and get him. Lance should’ve been a 3rd rounder, but the buzz got hot and he shot up the draft charts because of teams in need of their QB1.
You’re delusional. And I’m 48, not “this generation”.
It’s the kind of trade that can cripple a franchise. They better hope Purdy is the guy because if he isn’t? Oh boy
Name two trades that are worse. I’ll wait. If you want to go Herschel Walker fine. But there isnt a single worse trade other than that. I don’t care what the 49ers season results. They traded 3 firsts for nothing. At least RGIII had good flashes. Let’s see if you can actually back up your statement
Hopkins trade from Houston has to be up there.
Bad deal but not even in the same stratosphere.
I disagree. They should have gotten so much more for him. At the very least Houston could have gotten a first rounder instead of a 2 and a washed up, overpaid RB.
Colts trade John Elway to Broncos
Falcons trade Brett Favre to Packers
Buccaneers trade Steve Young to 49ers
This is not even the worst trade in 49ers history.
Charles Haley to the Cowboys for two picks.
49ers acquire OJ Simpson for five picks.
OJ and Haley are definitely not worse deals. Elway forced a trade so that one doesn’t count. Falcons at least got value for Favre. Nobody thought Steve Young would turn into what he did. Niners just traded three first rounders for a 4th in an era where draft picks are hoarded. They could easily miss out on multiple rings with this core because of that deal
Not denying it was a bad trade. Still not the worst. Who knows what becomes of that 4th round pick?
The Chargers trading up to take Ryan Leaf was a bad one too.
What did the 49ers get from the picks they received for Haley? Haley helped shift the balance of power between the two teams. Still, in my opinion, far worse trade.
Again, it’s just an opinion. Not going to change my life one way or another.
Have a good night!
Not disagreeing…flat out horrible trade up on their part. Just not the worse trade ever.
The Chargers trading up for Ryan Leif was not a very good decision either.
After trading five picks for OJ, the 49ers had matching 2-14 records for both years he played. Those picks were needed. Thank God for the regime change that second season.
Haley’s trade netted two picks but also shifted the balance of power to the Cowboys.
Again, just opinion. Let’s not dwell on it. The 49ers will be good.
49ers fans are delusional. Lance cost them three first-round picks! Imagine if they’d have drafted anyone else and landed a solid receiver with one of the other two? They’d likely have 1-2 Superbowls right now instead of wasting the generational talent already on the team.
U win
Ok, and maybe one or two of those first rounders would have translated into a SB trophy. Oh, I will try to remember to stay off your lawn and out of your way on the highway.
We got what we wanted. Purdy is our qb and will go down as the biggest draft steal ever.
Let’s see if that statement holds up through game 8 this season…
Idk. Tom Brady and his 7 superbowls and 3 mvps as a 6th round pick might have something to say about being tge biggest draft steal ever.
Somebody forgot about the Herschel Walker trade…
You don’t need to speak in these absolutes all the time and attempt hot takes.
Lance’s career not being over yet makes his drafting impossible to completely call just yet. However, for the 49ers’ part in it, you can say that this was certainly and easily one of the worst moves for a franchise in NFL history. I actually do not consider Lynch to be a bad G.M. (most of his moves have been pretty good), or Shanahan to be a bad coach (my personal opinion is that he is a bit overrated, but he’s obviously still a good coach overall). But this was a bad move.
If Lance turns out to be a stud-or even a quality player-later on, then Shanahan doesn’t look so bad for wanting him on an evaluative level. But the return for investment is so catastrophically bad that you have to consider the move itself to be truly awful. After a few years, and after Lance retires, we will be able to evaluate where it stands all time. But right now, and probably in the future, it’s truly terrible.
He’s played exactly 1 NFL game that he started and finished. That was the opener last year in Chicago that was played in a Monsoon, And on the worst field in the NFL. The only thing anybody proved that day was that they could swim and play Water Football. The next game he broke his ankle. They obviously looked again and thought he wasn’t very good and walked away from a mistake.
I don’t understand this move for Dallas.
You’re paying Dak to be the guy. I think he’s a little overrated, but he’s solid. You got Rush behind him, who seems to be a capable back up. Are you really wasting a 4th round pick for a more expensive 3rd string QB? Couldn’t you just have used the pick on a project QB next year if that’s what you wanted? Weird.
Could be used when it’s time to renegotiate Dak’s contract and also put a little pressure on him to succeed
People forget how old these QBs are. Dak is about to be 31. His career is coming to an end here soon. Brady was the outlier. Even the guys who held on past 32 or 33 look pretty worn down by 35. Think Matt Ryan, Stafford, Phillip Rivers, Roethlisberger, both Mannings. He’s about to be in the sunset of his career either way, and this gives a coach who everybody forgets did groom Rodgers including fixing a funky delivery coming into the league time to work with a raw talent like Lance in the meantime. I mean it’s not like the Cowboys haven’t developed QBs the last 20 years or anything. They’ve literally developed a fourth rounder and former UDFA into top half of the league starters.
Fair enough. Why wouldn’t they just draft one next year then? Assuming you don’t go first round for him, you’d get him for 4 years at a cheaper salary. Why not work with Grier?
I wouldn’t classify 31 as “old” for a QB myself. I can’t argue against your point that Brady was an outlier, but plenty of QBs play well until at least 35.
Who says they won’t. A fourth round pick is nothing in the larger scheme of things though to throw out there as a flyer, even though I would have given them less because they clearly wanted him gone. Sam Darnold got a two for context.
Also, I mean historically, around 33 or 34 is where they hit the wall. That ironically is right where Dak’s contract comes up again. Prescott has already started slipping if we’re being honest with all of those picks he threw last year and his durability issues. He was never a top end talent to begin with. Lance may not be the answer and I personally doubt he is because I thought this was an awful pick, but they will get to see him themselves and put him in live reps with a coach who has done this before even though Rodgers has made everyone forget this about McCarthy from his origin story with how he treated him at the end of their time together.
Especially with the rules protecting qb’s nowadays I think it’s fair to assume we’ll be seeing more qb’s playing well in the late thirties over the next decade than ever before.
Playing effectively? You have exactly two who have done it, and even saying Brees did is questionable since that was a very stacked team. It’s why his deficiencies were so magnified in that last four years of his career when they’d go to the playoffs. Rivers, Roethlisberger, Ryan, Brees, the mannings, etc., they all hit a hard wall physically around 34 or 35 and then some relied on other aspects of their game to keep playing. It was painful to watch in most situations. Roethlisberger looked like a shot prize fighter his last three years. Peyton throwing ducks. Eli couldn’t move. Matt Ryan fell off a cliff his last three years. It tracks with the past too. So I don’t think the rule changes have made this any different from the past in when you need to start thinking about retiring your franchise QB, and that day is coming soon for Dak Prescott.
Appa_Out, this is a low cost/high reward bet for the Cowboys. They are getting a first or second round talent at a fourth round (presumably late 4th round) price. Dallas was looking to draft a developmental QB in this year’s draft, but didn’t find a good match. Now they have an athletic guy who is still only 23 yrs old and who won’t be fresh off the college turnip truck. He replaces a very shaky Grier at #3 and can challenge for the #2 spot presumably next year.
Realfootballfan has a point about age, but Dak is playing in an era where more QBs can keep going. Brady was an outlier, but not as much one would think. Rodgers is going on 40 soon, and is very recently removed from being an MVP. Brees retired at 41. Manning did so at 39, after a degenerative nerve injury seized several years from him.
Do I think that Dak will play that long? No. He is not, at least as of yet, a polished enough passer to not have to rely on athleticism at all (you don’t need to be a scrambler to rely on athleticism in the pocket-Romo was a great example, though he was also a good passer). Older style pocket passers can play as long as they are protected. The problem with Dak is that he’s already had some injuries and is not yet a surgeon from the pocket. Thing is, with the rules being the way they are, he can still be expected to play for several more years before Dallas will have to expect a replacement.
So why trade for Lance? Well, he is more similar athletically to Dak than Rush, even though Rush has a very solidified advantage over Lance in terms of resume and knows the offense. Speculatively, the Cowboys could been a team with a high grade on Lance, but obviously weren’t prepared to draft him so high. Now they get him for cheap.
I’d agree that Rush is certainly a better backup. But I think this is the real reason: if we reasonably can expect Dak to miss one to three games a season, as he has in the past, the Cowboys would need a second QB to play behind Rush. The combination of that need, the advantage of having a backup on the team learning the offense throughout the whole season instead of on the fly, and the athleticism of a former top five pick were probably the influencing factors here. If Lance is just a backup, great. If he comes in and shows something, then the Cowboys have a cheap former first rounder to develop. And, if it doesn’t work out, they only lose a fourth.
Rivers Roethlisberger nor Ryan looked worn down at 35.
At 35 all three surpassed 4000 yards
Rivers threw 33 tds roethlisberger threw 28 ryan threw 26.
Even at 39 rivers threw 4000 something yards ar 24 tds. Roethisberger threw 3700 yards and 22 tds.
Ryan completely cratered in indy at 37 but that probably has to do with indy being a horribly run organization that chased wentz out of town and is chasing jonathan taylor out of town.
Do you really think they looked good at those ages? I know some of you love to pull up stats, but I’m talking about how they actually played, and they all looked diminished around that age. QBs just can’t move anymore after a certain number of hits in the pocket just like any other position. It’s easier to put up empty calorie numbers today than in the past because of the rule changes that you’re citing, but it still doesn’t change that they can’t do what they used to do and your franchise isn’t a contender anymore because playoff defenses will expose them more easily. There was a reason that Pittsburgh was ready to move on a couple of years before the end for Roethlisberger despite him still having pretty good numbers. I even said his last year, he had almost identical numbers to Mac Jones who was being lauded at the time, but nobody thought Pittsburgh could do anything because mobile, throw it downfield Big Ben was gone, and then on top of it, you’re paying these guys 35% of your cap or more in most situations to do it.
Ryan Rivers Roethlisberger have never been mobile qbs. Not even in their 20s. So saying their mobility wasnt good isnt exactly saying much when they had almost 0 mobility to begin with. They were the prototypical pocket passer.
Most yards big ben had was 204. Matt Ryan? 147. Rivers? 102. In a season.
Did they look good? Well considering Chargers and Steelers finished top 10ish in points per game at their age 35 seasons id say they looked pretty good. Hard to do that if your qb play is “diminishing”.
Matt Ryan finished top 15ish without Julio Jones for a good majority of the season that was already thrown into chaos by covid. Id say ryan looked good when his only real weapon was Calvin Ridley.
Ryans and Rivers had to carrier their teams at 35. Big ben had Leveon Bell which cut into his production.
Far as their cap hit. Thats a totally different argument. Was their production dimishing? No.
Is it wise to committ 35% of your cap to an aging QB? No. But production wasnt the issue. Risk of injury was. 35 year old qbs dont recover as quickly as 23 year old qbs.
whoops!
A 4th for a guy who couldn’t outperform Sam Darnold?
The 49ers handed that job to Darnold when the signed him. Did you see the money they gave him? I don’t know what went on there, but i wouldn’t indict him on what’s happened so far. He has less than 600 snaps combined in his entire career playing organized football, so if you knew that coming in, you knew you were going to have to work a lot with him, and right or wrong, Shanahan wasn’t about to do that work.
Fourth round picks are borderline worthless but I agree. Lance hasn’t done anything and couldn’t even beat out another bust for a backup role. Should have been a 5th at best.
seems quite generous
I think this – partially – guards against them not re-signing/extending Dak
Very unlikely, and I do not support the cowboys or niners, but wouldn’t it be funny if Lance develops into an above average starter while Purdy regresses from his impressive rookie form.
Don’t think the Niners made the right call by selling low.
Agreed. I also don’t support either team, tho I also don’t have a problem with either.
I would agree, but I will raise the point that we don’t know if they sold low. Dallas’ offer could have been the best that they got. Given that the entire NFL knew how much of a quagmire San Fran was in with Lance, it wouldn’t be surprising if that were true.
Really, this trade seems to benefit Lance more than any other party. He gets to try again on a good team, as opposed to a struggling one looking for a potential starter where picks like him usually end up. Compared to most backups on a good teams with established starters, there is a reasonable chance that Lance could get playing time, as Prescott can reasonably be expected to miss a few games in the next few seasons. The receivers are better than many (if not most) NFL teams, and the offensive line is solid. Perhaps Lance picked Dallas’ offer himself, and the 9ers accommodated him.
If I’m Lynch I don’t give up on Lance for anything less than a second. At least wait a few weeks to confirm Purdy is legit. I doubt the offers would’ve been worse in a couple months, considering Lance won’t be playing and potentially lowering his value any further.
Niners just swapped out a failed #3 ovr draft pick (at least so far) for an older failed #3 ovr draft pick.
Terrible take. That he’s not good enough to put into a game to lower his value further says everything. Getting a 4th from Dallas was more than any other team was willing to part with or obvious they’d have taken it. And that Dallas gave up a 4th for a guy that is no better than their other backups is just plain dumb.
You really don’t think Dallas’ offer of a fourth wouldn’t have been there in week 4? We’re talking about Jerry Jones.
Again, it’s going to be funny if Lance develops into a solid starter while Purdy shows regression.
It’s a great trade. The Cowboys know that Dak isn’t winning them a Super Bowl. Trey has not been given a chance yet to play and develop let him learn for another year. No way the Cowboys should pay Dak another contract let Dak have this year when he fails let Trey have a shot…..
Horrible trade, when one guy performs well and doesn’t get it done in the playoffs you don’t replace him with a guy that was 4th string in SF and couldn’t get in the field.
I was just saying the other day he would be a solid backup in Miami with a QB friendly system. Shocked Dallas took him lmao
He’d be the starter in Miami within the first 3 weeks. Tua is one hit away from getting fed through a straw.
Miami does run a similar offense. However, they’d already invested in a quality backup in Mike White. Tua has been injury prone, however, so it’s not unlikely that that could have been an interesting scenario to play out.
Trey has more mobility and youth than Mike and is still on rookie deal. It makes sense. Or at least it did
lol
Jerrah.
So let’s recap. Jerry Jones stubbornly resists giving a future HOF OL a pay raise but he’s off like a rocket to acquire the biggest draft bust in recent memory. Can’t wait to hear his explanation for this move…lol.
How can someone who sat a year and got hurt in his second game be a bust…. Smh he needs a chance for god sake….
Well, if anyone was going to give him a chance it would be the team that gave up a lot to draft him in the first place. Clearly, the Niners have realized they totally botched the pick and are trying to salvage something from the disaster. I don’t particularly like Lynch but you have to admire a GM who can accept humiliation and move on from his mistakes.
If the coach is an arrogant jerk, not necessarily. It had written all over it it when they got him that he never wanted him to begin with. Remember, he finally admitted that about Garoppolo too after they had already won a lot. Kyle Shanahan is set on what he wants, and he clearly wanted Mac Jones, but Lynch said no, and I think Lance was the compromise because he apparently liked Wilson too but couldn’t get him and didn’t want Fields.
This is the problem teams are having now with such bloated executive staffs. GMs have to confer with the HC, OC and DC, placate the overpaid QB, get opinions from other advisors and finally get the green light from the owner before they can actually do their jobs. Back in the day the scouting department would provide the GM with the reports on players the team had interest in and that was all that was needed to make decisions.
Wrong the 49ers had to play Purdy he won 10-11 games and convinced then he is the one. So they moved off Trey no way you are not Playing Purdy.
This doesn’t cost money. And he’s not necessarily a bust. He hasn’t had a chance. Yes, I understand he’s been unhealthy.
When he has been healthy he hasn’t shown enough to get on the field. You don’t give up what they did to get him to not plug and play. When you go QB 3rd overall you expect him to be in the lineup ASAP.
You don’t plug a play a QB with one year of starting In College period
Hes a bust.
You can have all the potential in the world but all a bust means is you did not live up to expectations that were pressed upon you.
49ers traded 3 1st round picks for a franchise qb they drafted 3rd overall passing up corner stone players like chase waddle sewell surtain. They did not get that in trey lance. He is currently a bust and one of the biggest in the history of the nfl. Being injured often doesnt absolve him from being a bust. He has not lived up to the draft slot and investment.
Same applies to isiah wilson to a lesser degree. Im sure he is full of potential and could have been a very good offensive linemen for the titans. Never saw the field for a variety of reasons. We consider him a bust.
Mac Jones approves of this trade
So add to his list of failings that Lance couldn’t handle being named 3rd string. The 49ers should consider themselves lucky to have gotten another deluded owner to take on this nothing-burger.
They won’t consider themselves lucky if Purdy isn’t the guy with what they gave up in draft assets. This is as bad an organizational failure as it gets
It doesn’t matter what Purdy turns out to be, as you can’t replace him with a guy that can’t beat out Sam Darnold (or Brandon Allen). I agree it is an organization failure, as you don’t give up all those first round picks for a guy that doesn’t become a starter, but you can ride out that mistake if your roster is good enough. BTW – I heard yesterday that the actual reason they traded Lance was to get his remaining guaranteed money off the CAP, as they want to give that money to Bosa, which sort of backs up my point.
It has everything to do with what he turns out to be. If Purdy is a flop and they don’t have any assets to acquire a quarterback, they’re sunk. Good luck with Sam Darnold
The last pick traded to the Dolphins was for the 2023 draft – thus the 49er draft board is now reset. What’s to keep the 49ers from doing the same thing again, i.e., trading away 2+ firsts to move up and try one more time to find their Garoppolo replacement?
The very real possibility it could backfire all over again. I highly doubt ownership would allow that to happen again or even entertain the idea of it. That’s why I believe this is all on Purdy’s success
If Purdy flops 49ers are looking at drafting high in a qb class thats shaping up to be one of the best in a long time if guys improve upon previous seasons.
Purdy flops 49ers could
1. Trade for Mac Jones as that relationship is sour
2. Sign Kirk Cousins or someone like Tyler Huntley who has shown promise in baltimore backing up lamar
3. Look to draft someone.
DAL gets a look at a QB SF gave up the farm for at the cost of what will likely be a 4th round compensatory pick? DAL was looking to draft a QB this past draft but didn’t get the guy they wanted. So why not take a flier? Prescott isn’t going anywhere and Rush is serviceable. No pressure on Lance, new environment and 3 million each of the next few years to develop and judge is a smart deal.
They didn’t give up 3 firsts and swap picks. They gave up 2 first and a third to move from 12 to 3. People always say 3 firsts and it’s just plain not true.
Unless you count the one they used to pick the guy.
Most certainly did cost them 3 1st rounders. If they didn’t make that trade they’d have had 3 different players contributing from the 3 different picks. Instead they bundled them and walked away with one pick which went to this epic bust.
Lance is a bust, Purdy is going to be the best value pick in NFL history. It’s a wash. 49ers are good.
Tom Brady has something to say about that!
Until the wheels fall off…then you’ve got a guy who failed miserably with two other teams on the bench. No upside.
Hitching their wagon to Mr. Irrelevant. If the wheels fall off, they’re screwed. Good luck with Sam Darnold
Falcons or Cardinals would’ve been a better landing spot. Neither will contend this season and the former would’ve been ideal for Lance … the latter for at least the beginning of the season.
Dallas is on the other end of the spectrum: if Dak misses time, they will go with Rush over kicking the tires on Lance. He’ll be Mr Clipboard unless things go completely sideways for Dallas
1000% Brilliant move on the part of the Dallas Cowboys !!!! Hear me out before you bash me. Prescott has not really lived up to the hype and his contract. Now Dallas can sit back try to fix Trey Lance and if they can then they have their QB for the future. Now the important part is – ” If they can fix ” If yes then they can part ways with Dak and save millions and millions of $$$$ and have their QB of the future. Again the key word is ” IF “
Jerry basically traded for a QB who is about as “fixable” as Johnny Manziel, Christian Hackenberg or Josh Rosen.
All them Cowboy fans who screamed “trade Dak” and “cut Dak” after the playoff meltdown last January may get their wish down the line.
Speaking of Dallas QBs, Will Grier was told last night he’ll play the entire game vs. Las Vegas and then get cut. Grier is thus getting a live tryout tonight for any team that needs a warm body at QB.
Eagle fan here, I find this news hilarious for both teams.
Prescott is one of the most overrated QBs in all of football. I’m a lifelong cowboys fan but even I have to admit that a lot of their players are overrated just because they’re cowboys. you’re never going to win anything with Prescott as your QB. I’d rather see Rush or Lance be the full-time starter and have them get rid of Prescott altogether.
My GOD how bad at asset management can you be? And I thought A. J. Preller was bad…