« I can tell everybody it wasn’t for a lack of effort on Trey’s part or on our part. »
The San Francisco 49ers have traded quarterback Trey Lance to the Dallas Cowboys less than three years after trading three first-round picks to draft him.
A person familiar with the situation said the Cowboys will send a fourth-round pick to San Francisco for a player drafted third overall in 2021. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the terms have not been announced.
“Really hard day,” general manager John Lynch said on the team’s preseason broadcast on KPIX during Friday night’s exhibition finale. “Such a wonderful young man. We took a shot and it didn’t work out. We own that. We take accountability for it. I think his story is very much unwritten. I’m excited for Trey. Dallas stepped up and really wanted him and they came after him. I think it will be a great landing spot for him.”
ESPN first reported the trade.
Lance had lost the competition to Sam Darnold to be the backup to Brock Purdy in San Francisco earlier in the week, setting the stage for his departure.
The move is a remarkable backtrack following the hefty investment the Niners made in hopes of Lance becoming a franchise quarterback.
