The NFL has a funny way of keeping names in the headlines long after they’ve stopped actually making plays on the field. You've probably seen the cowboys trey lance trade rumors swirling around social media or popping up in your feed lately. It feels like 2023 all over again. People are asking if Jerry Jones is ready to move on, or if some desperate team is going to call the Star in Frisco to salvage the former number three overall pick.
But here’s the thing: most of the "news" you're reading is stuck in a time warp.
To understand the actual state of the cowboys trey lance trade rumors, we have to look at the cold, hard reality of the 2026 NFL landscape. If you're looking for a blockbuster trade, you're about a year too late. Trey Lance isn't even a Dallas Cowboy anymore. He spent the 2025 season backing up Justin Herbert in Los Angeles after signing a one-year deal with the Chargers in April 2025.
Funny how the internet works, right?
Why Everyone Is Still Talking About a Cowboys Trade That Can't Happen
It’s easy to see why the confusion persists. The Cowboys gave up a fourth-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers back in 2023 for Lance, basically buying a lottery ticket. For two years, he sat behind Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush. Fans kept waiting for the "package" of plays that never really materialized. Even after Dak went down with that nasty hamstring injury in late 2024, the Cowboys turned to Cooper Rush, not the high-pedigree youngster.
Lance finally got a start in the 2024 season finale against the Commanders. It was... okay? He showed some flashes, but also took four sacks and threw an interception. Basically, it was exactly what we've seen from him since his North Dakota State days: elite physical tools trapped in a player who just hasn't played enough football.
When the Cowboys declined his fifth-year option in May 2024, the writing was on the wall. He became a free agent in early 2025. He wasn't traded; he walked.
The Chargers Era and the New Rumor Mill
Currently, Lance is hitting the market again. His one-year, $2 million contract with the Chargers is expiring as we head into the 2026 offseason. He’s 25 years old. In the NFL, 25 is still "young enough to fix" in the eyes of many offensive coordinators.
If you are hearing trade rumors now, they are likely coming from one of two places:
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- Old SEO "zombie" articles that haven't been updated since 2024.
- Speculation about a Sign-and-Trade, which is rare in the NFL but keeps the "Cowboys" tag attached to Lance because people still associate him with Jerry World.
Honestly, the "trade" ship has sailed. The real story for 2026 is where Lance signs as an Unrestricted Free Agent (UFA).
Breaking Down the 2026 Quarterback Market
The 2026 offseason is kind of a weird one for QBs. The draft class isn't seen as a "slam dunk" year, which makes veteran backups with "upside" (that word is doing a lot of heavy lifting here) more valuable than usual.
While the Cowboys have moved on—they're currently looking at a depth chart featuring Dak Prescott and guys like Joe Milton III—other teams are still sniffing around the Trey Lance experiment. The Chargers liked him as a backup, but with over $100 million in cap space, Jim Harbaugh might be looking for a different flavor behind Herbert.
Real-World Performance Stats (The Tape Doesn't Lie)
Let's look at what Lance actually did in 2025 with the Chargers. It wasn't exactly MVP stuff.
- Starts: 1 (A Week 17 loss to Denver)
- Completion %: 47.4%
- Yards: 226
- TD/INT: 0/1
That 47.4% completion rate is the killer. In today's NFL, you can't survive with that. It doesn't matter if you can run a 4.5 forty or throw the ball 70 yards through a ring of fire. If you can't hit a slant consistently, you're a liability. This is why the cowboys trey lance trade rumors died a quiet death—the league saw the tape, and the league wasn't impressed.
What Most People Get Wrong About the "Trade" Value
People love to talk about "pedigree."
"He was the 3rd pick!"
"The 49ers gave up three first-rounders for him!"
None of that matters in 2026. In the NFL, your value is your last 100 snaps. For Lance, those snaps show a player who is still struggling with processing speed. The Cowboys didn't trade him because they couldn't find a partner willing to give up anything more than a late-round flyer. They chose to let him walk rather than pay a backup more than a couple million bucks.
The Cowboys have since pivoted. They’ve been linked to guys like Will Grier again or looking at the trade market for younger, cheaper developmental pieces like Hendon Hooker if he becomes available.
Actionable Insights: What to Watch for in 2026
If you're a fan of the Cowboys or just a Trey Lance truth-er, here is how the next few months will actually play out. Forget the "trade" talk and focus on these milestones:
- The Compensatory Pick Formula: Since Lance signed a small deal with the Chargers, the Cowboys won't get any "comp pick" help from his departure. That dream is dead.
- The Pro Day Circuit: Watch which teams send heavy scouting presence to watch the Tier 2 quarterbacks in the draft. Teams like the Raiders or the Giants, if they pass on a QB in Round 1, are the prime candidates to sign Lance to a "prove it" deal in March 2026.
- The Cowboys' Own Backup Battle: Dallas is clearly looking for a specific archetype now. They want "cannon arms" like Joe Milton III. It’s a low-cost way to replicate the vertical threat without the $5 million price tag Lance once commanded.
The cowboys trey lance trade rumors are a classic case of the internet outrunning reality. Lance is a footnote in Dallas history now—a 4th-round gamble that didn't pay out. As we move into the 2026 free agency period, expect him to sign another one-year deal with a team looking for a "scout team" QB who can mimic mobile starters like Jalen Hurts or Anthony Richardson during practice.
For the Cowboys, the focus is entirely on Dak's health and whether Joe Milton can become the cheap, high-upside backup they hoped Lance would be. Stop checking the trade wires; start checking the transaction logs for "Free Agent Signings." That’s where the real news will be.
Next Step: Monitor the NFL Transaction Wire starting March 11, 2026, when the legal tampering period begins, to see where Lance lands on his third team in four years.