NFL Rumors: Cowboys to Decline Trey Lance's $22.4M Contract Option for 2025 Season

Trey Lance's time with the Dallas Cowboys will likely come to an end after the 2024 season.

According to ESPN's Todd Archer, the Cowboys will decline Lance's fifth-year option that would have paid him $22.4 million for the 2025 season, raising questions about his future with the team.

Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News initially reported on Feb. 29 that the Cowboys weren't expected to pick up Lance's fifth-year option. He will make $5.3 million in 2024 after the team picked up his $4.25 million roster bonus, per Spotrac.

The Cowboys acquired Lance from the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a 2024 fourth-round draft pick. Lance spent the 2023 season as the third-string quarterback behind Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush, and he didn't see the field at all.

Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said that Lance will compete with Rush for the backup quarterback position this offseason.

The No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 draft, Lance has played in just eight games in his three-year career. He was named San Francisco's starter for the 2022 season, but a broken ankle suffered in Week 2 forced him to miss the remainder of the year. Upon his return, Brock Purdy had taken over as the 49ers' franchise quarterback. Lance was demoted to third-string quarterback behind Purdy and Sam Darnold a few days before he was traded to the Cowboys.

Lance was highly regarded for his athleticism coming out of North Dakota State, and he's shown flashes of being a productive quarterback in his brief time on the field. In his career, he has thrown for 797 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions while also adding 235 rushing yards and a score.

Lance could be in for another change of scenery soon. If the Cowboys don't see a future with him, they could look to trade him to recoup assets. If Dallas holds onto him, he will test the open market next offseason.