Trey Lance’s future with the Cowboys remains uncertain
Another week, another loss for the Dallas Cowboys. Monday night’s defeat at home to the Houston Texans put the team’s playoff hopes on life support, but Jerry Jones isn’t ready to roll the dice on Trey Lance. Instead, the Cowboys’ owner is sticking with Cooper Rush, who has shown only marginal improvement since taking over for the injured Dak Prescott.
In his weekly radio appearance, Jones maintained his stance. “I thought Rush actually had improvement last night,” he told 105.3 The Fan. “He didn’t have far to go to get improvement, but I did think he had improvement.”
“I don’t know about that,” Jones said of Lance starting. “I want to give our team the very best chance it can — in all phases — to be successful. So, we’re going to go here with the quarterback that gives us the best chance to win the game.”
Head coach Mike McCarthy echoed the sentiment, confirming that Rush will remain the starter against Washington this Sunday. But with the season slipping away and Rush proving to be nothing more than a serviceable placeholder, the question lingers: why not see what Lance can offer?
Yes, Rush showed some growth against the Texans, completing 32 of 55 passes for 354 yards and a touchdown.
But the Cowboys’ offense remained lackluster, scoring just 10 points. Even with his marginal improvement, the team couldn’t avoid a 34-10 drubbing. The glaring reality? Dallas is now winless at home (0-5) and sits at a dismal 3-7 overall.
Compare that to Rush’s Week 10 performance against the Eagles: 45 yards on 13 of 23 attempts with no touchdowns or interceptions. Sure, the numbers are better, but the scoreboard doesn’t lie. In both cases, the Cowboys were blown out, and their fundamental flaws—failing to run the ball or stop the run—are painfully evident.
Trey Lance was supposed to be the wildcard. Drafted third overall in 2021, his career with the San Francisco 49ers was marred by injuries and inconsistency. When Dallas acquired him in 2023 for a fourth-round pick, it raised eyebrows. Was this a calculated risk or just a desperate move?
Jones insists they knew what they were getting. “We knew exactly where Trey Lance was when he left San Francisco,” he explained. Yet, Lance hasn’t been able to leapfrog Rush on the depth chart, let alone inspire confidence in Jones to let him start.
But here’s the reality: Lance needs playing time to prove his worth. Jones even admitted as much: “He has improved dramatically. You’ve got to get out there and you’ve got to play.” So why not let him play now, when the season is essentially over?
Dallas’ season is spiraling, and sticking with Rush feels like more of the same. Lance represents the unknown—high risk, but potentially high reward. For a team that began the year with Super Bowl aspirations, clinging to mediocrity feels like a slow, painful decline.
Jones seems reluctant to shift into evaluation mode. “We haven’t gotten to the point that we were basically looking to evaluate Trey Lance,” he said. But if not now, when? Waiting until the playoffs are mathematically out of reach feels like an unnecessary delay in assessing Lance’s potential.
The Cowboys have little to lose and everything to gain by handing Lance the reins. If Jones truly believes in Lance’s improvement, it’s time to prove it. Otherwise, Lance may remain the backup who never got a real shot—and Dallas may regret wasting another year in limbo.
Image: © Tim Heitman-Imagn Images
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