The San Francisco 49ers have made a strategic move involving Trey Lance. Following a sequence of events that led to Lance finding himself as the QB3 in the team’s depth chart behind Brock Purdy and Sam Darnold, the young quarterback was shipped to the Dallas Cowboys.

Both head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch had initially expressed their intention to retain Lance on the roster. However, the words didn’t match the actions as their swiftly sent him away.

The Cowboys weren’t seen as a potential landing spot for almost anyone, having an established veteran as Dak Prescott as the starter. In any case, Mike McCarthy saw an opportunity and added an intriguing backup with an uncertain future.

Trey Lance’s 49ers to Cowboys Trade Compensation

Lance entered the league as a project with a very high ceiling, but with a lot of mystery around him due to his limited experience. The 49ers gave up remarkable draft capital, including two first-round picks to jump from 12th to 3rd in 2021 to pick him.

In the end, things didn’t work out for him because of injuries. Those physical struggles made it impossible for the 49ers to receive a big haul in exchange for the quarterback, but they accepted the Cowboys’ offer.

The Cowboys are sending a 2024 fourth-round pick to the 49 for Lance. As reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Dallas is also taking the remaining two-year, $6.25M fully guaranteed contract. With the move, San Francisco opens up $930,000 in cap space, along with $5.3M in 2024.

What Is Trey Lance’s Record as a Starter?

Trey Lance’s record as starter is 2-2, despite playing a total of eight games in his career with the 49ers.