San Jose, California – This isn’t about Sunday Night Football. It’s also not actually about Dak Prescott, though it will almost certainly be spun that way. In fact, it may not even be about the Dallas Cowboys, who will face the San Francisco 49ers in Week 5 in a game that will include a lot of buzz about quarterback and former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance.
However, Lance will almost certainly not play, as he will be making his first visit to San Francisco since being traded to the Cowboys at the start of the season.
Someday, though? One of Lance’s former 49ers teammates believes he will not only return to the NFL as a starting quarterback, but will also improve significantly.
From star tackle Trent Williams, via NBC: “I don’t have a crystal ball, but I believe that in this game, if you do the right things and are made of the right stuff, opportunity will eventually find you.
“And I believe this will happen in Trey’s case. And when it happens, we’ll all see the talent that everyone knows he possesses.
The Cowboys have a high opinion of Lance’s character. Can he play? As the third-string quarterback, his sole chance to play in a game in 2023 will be in an emergency situation caused by an injury to Dak Prescott or Cooper Rush.
The Cowboys used a fourth-round pick to investigate the question, after the 49ers paid a high price (including several first-round draft picks) to draft him, believing they knew the answer.
Lance poses no danger to anyone above him on the Dallas depth chart. He works on the practice squad, and perhaps that will lead to another opportunity eventually, someplace. However, he is under contract with the Cowboys for the 2023 and 2024 seasons, and he may be kept by exercising his fifth-year option for the 2025 season.
