BREAKING: QB Trey Lance Traded from 49ers to Cowboys

23-year-old San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance has been traded to the Dallas Cowboys, per sources.

Trade: 49ers are sending their former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance to the Dallas Cowboys for a mid-round, per sources. Lance now gets a fresh start in Dallas. pic.twitter.com/UxKNpljktv
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 25, 2023

The third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft fell to third on the 49ers depth chart this preseason, behind starter Brock Purdy and former New York Jets and Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold.

Seeing Lance as expendable, the 49ers put Lance on the trading block, and will reportedly receive a fourth-round pick back in exchange for the former North Dakota State passer.

Injuries severely hampered Lance’s ability to see the field in San Francisco. Lance went 1-1 in relief of Jimmy Garoppolo in his rookie season, and 1-1 again in 2022 after beating Garoppolo for the starting job, before suffering a season-ending ankle injury.

That’s right, just one year after being deemed good enough to be the starting quarterback, the 49ers have parted ways with their one-time “quarterback of the future” for a mere fourth-round pick.

For the Dallas Cowboys, there is a little more talent in the quarterback room, and their season wouldn’t necessarily be over if something happened to starting quarterback Dak Prescott. This also gives Lance a fresh start, and who knows, at just 23 years old, maybe Lance could be the “quarterback of the future” for another NFL franchise.

Lance threw 102 passes for San Francisco, as well as five touchdowns and three interceptions. Lance appeared in 8 games, starting 4, with a 2-2 record.

Will Lance get another shot to be a starter in his young NFL career? Only time will tell, but for now, he should be a serviceable backup for Dak Prescott in Dallas.