Cowboys finally admit defeat on Trey Lance trade with latest QB decision

The Dallas Cowboys are once again playing a dangerous game with Dak Prescott, who still doesn't have a new contract with the Week 1 opener six days away. The two sides remain entrenched in negotiations and it is really anyone's guess if a deal gets done in time.

It would be the Cowboys' biggest organizational failure in recent memory if they fail to extend Prescott this week. With the deadline approaching, NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported over the weekend that "there have been active conversations for about the last month or so."

While Cowboys fans wait with bated breath for the big announcement (or lack thereof), Dallas has made another notable move at quarterback. On Monday, Mike McCarthy announced Cooper Rush -- not Trey Lance -- as the team's backup quarterback.

Cowboys name Cooper Rush backup QB, accept defeat on Trey Lance

McCarthy made sure to give Lance some love while effectively demoting him, but he echoed a familiar sentiment regarding the 24-year-old.

"He's just got to continue to develop," said McCarthy. "You can see the things he's really focused on, the concept footwork and things like that, he got better each week in the preseason. Great job extending plays with his legs. Made some plays in the quarterback run phase. Just trying to continue that dropback passing. He's making strides. The preseason, I don't know that there's anyone on our team who benefited more from the preseason than Trey Lance."

It's clear McCarthy thinks Lance has a long way to go as a pocket passer. That was obvious to the naked eye in preseason. For every difficult throw Lance dropped in a bucket, he misfired on two or three simple passes or failed to spot an open receiver.

Among 25 QBs who had at least 50 dropbacks in preseason, Lance ranked 11th in completion rate (64.6%), 15th in yards per attempt (5.9), 16th in passing grade (65.6) and tied for first with five interceptions, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

It is clear that Lance wasn't worth a top-five pick, let alone three first-round picks. And despite his lack of playing time over the last three years, you would expect better efficiency from a player who set the nation ablaze at North Dakota State.

It's no surprise that Rush won the QB2 job. While Lance has a higher ceiling, Rush has kept the ship afloat whenever Prescott has missed time. The 30-year-old had a long collegiate career and knows how to run an offense. That's the bare minimum expectation for an NFL backup.

The fact Lance failed to clear that bar does not bode well for his future in Dallas. He was given an entire preseason to prove himself and still didn't come through. Jerry Jones has tried his best to maintain Lance's value through verbal media applause, but Monday's announcement was the clearest indicator yet that the Cowboys have accepted defeat on the Lance trade.

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