Cowboys won't get better opportunity to trade Trey Lance after major QB injury

It's hard to believe, but Dak Prescott now has even more leverage over the Dallas Cowboys after the first week of preseason. Sure, it's only one game, but Trey Lance did nothing to suggest he can take over the reigns if the Cowboys were to move on from Prescott in 2025.

Entering the final year of his contract, Prescott will eventually become the first quarterback in NFL history to make $60 million per year. Lance developing into a starting-caliber QB would complicate Prescott's negotiation, but he hardly resembled a backup last Sunday against the LA Rams.

It is hard to envision Lance sticking around in Dallas beyond this season. The front office may be reluctant to cut bait with the 24-year-old if Prescott doesn't sign an extension before Week 1. Assuming they are true to their word and are committed to Dak, though, they have every reason to trade Lance if a buyer comes to the forefront.

Well, it just might be the Cowboys' lucky day.

Over the weekend, Vikings rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy suffered a torn meniscus in his preseason debut and will undergo surgery. Doctor were initially weighing whether to trim the meniscus, which would allow McCarthy to return in less than two months, or do a full repair, which would knock him out for the entire season.

Vikings could trade for Cowboys' Trey Lance after J.J. McCarthy knee injury

In a devastating development, McCarthy underwent a full meniscus repair Wednesday morning and will miss the entire season, per NFL Media's Ian Rapoport.

McCarthy wasn't expected to start Week 1. Sam Darnold has taken nearly all of the first-team reps in training camp and started Saturday's game. However, this is a devastating blow to the Vikings. Behind Darnold, who's yet to play a full NFL season himself due to injury, Minnesota has journeyman Nick Mullens and 2023 first-round pick Jaren Hall.

It would seriously behoove the Vikings to make a move at quarterback now. The league hasn't showed much interest in Lance after he flamed out with the 49ers, but Minnesota reportedly kicked the tires on trading for the former No. 3 overall pick last year after Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles.

That same regime is in place, so perhaps they view Lance as a possible contingency plan. While Lance displayed pedestrian vision and accuracy on Sunday, he showed flashes that resembled the player the 49ers traded a king's ransom to trade up and draft in 2021.

It's a long shot (at best) that the Vikings come calling again for Lance and the Cowboys may be reluctant to accept defeat on last year's trade. However, McCarthy's unfortunate injury has at least carved a path for Dallas to recoup some value for the third-year quarterback.

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