FRISCO, Texas — Trey Lance arrived in Dallas on Sunday. He has been spending most of his time at the Dallas Cowboys’ headquarters with coaches and teammates, trying to get acclimated to a new team and a new offense.
Wearing a blue and white Cowboys hat and a gray long sleeve Cowboys hooded shirt, Lance met with reporters for the first time at The Star for about eight minutes Tuesday.
“I’m very excited to be here,” he said. “I’m just excited to continue to get to know the guys. Obviously for me, just learning, taking it one day at a time. I’m not really trying to look too far forward or anything. Just trying to be a sponge and learn and enjoy every day.”
New Cowboys QB Trey Lance: “When I heard Cowboys, I had a big smile on my face.”
He said he’s 100 percent healthy.
On Dak Prescott: “He welcomed me with open arms. That meant a lot to me. Just tons and tons of respect for him.” pic.twitter.com/ZbJTW9eTcj
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 29, 2023
Lance was informed last week by San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan that he would be the team’s No. 3 quarterback behind starter Brock Purdy and backup Sam Darnold. Lance, the third overall pick in 2021, was “devastated,” according to 49ers general manager John Lynch. Both parties agreed that a trade was in the best interest for everyone involved.
Lance found out Friday that the Cowboys had traded for him, sending the 49ers a fourth-round pick.
“When I heard Cowboys, I had a big smile on my face,” Lance said Tuesday. “I was very excited to be here. … It was a little bit surreal for me hearing that I was going to come here, knowing everything about this historic organization. Just compared to the 49ers, obviously you think of that as another one of the top tier historic organizations. Just very excited to be here.”
Lance called it a “breath of fresh air” to learn a new offense, one that he thinks will be a great fit for him. He noted that no one wanted things to go the way they did in San Francisco. The 49ers traded three first-round picks and a third-round selection to draft Lance. He ended up playing in only eight games, making four starts over the last two seasons. The 49ers went 2-2 in those starts. Finger and ankle injuries contributed to him not getting more work.
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Lance said he is 100 percent healthy.
“I believe everything happens for a reason,” he said. “I think I’m here for a reason. Regardless of what it is, I just want to try to find a way to help the team.
“This fresh start definitely feels great. I’m excited to be here.”
Lance is set to be Dallas’ No. 3 quarterback this season behind starter Dak Prescott and backup Cooper Rush. That’s not expected to change as long as Prescott and Rush are healthy. Next offseason would then present Lance with an opportunity to compete with Rush for the backup job.
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy has talked about the importance of having a strong quarterback room. He expects that to continue with the addition of Lance.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said one of the factors in making the trade was having a 23-year-old Lance be in the same room as Prescott, learning from the eight-year veteran.
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“He welcomed me with open arms,” Lance said of Prescott. “(Tuesday) morning was the first time I ran into him. That meant a lot to me. I know this business is crazy. I’m not looking forward at all. I’m trying to take it one day at a time.
“He’s a guy that has obviously played at a very high level for a very long time. Nothing but tons and tons of respect for him, as I think he deserves and gets from across the league. I’m just trying to learn everything I possibly can from him.”
Lance was later asked for more details on what he thinks he can learn from Dallas’ franchise QB.
“Everything,” he said. “The type of person he is, I think first and foremost. I think everyone knows that with the Walter Payton Man of the Year and things like that. How he treats people, how I’ve seen him treat people just in this building these few days, the few conversations I’ve had with him. Just texting him when I had my ankle injury, things like that.
“The football stuff speaks for itself. I’m still trying to learn Day 1 install. So for me, I obviously got a long way to go there. I’m definitely looking forward to being a sponge, soaking everything up I can from him.”
(Photo: Ian Maule / Getty Images)
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