Jerry Jones says Dak Prescott contract negotiations weren't a factor in trading for Trey Lance

The Dallas Cowboys made a big splash on Friday when they shipped a fourth-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers for quarterback Trey Lance. But owner Jerry Jones said acquiring the former No. 3 overall pick had nothing to do with early stages of contract negotiations with current Dallas franchise quarterback Dak Prescott.

Asked about the move ahead of Dallas’ final preseason game on Saturday, Jones bristled at the notion that he was thinking about gaining leverage on Prescott by adding Lance. It didn’t come to mind, the Cowboys owner said.

“[That] didn’t cross my mind. Period,” Jones said, according to The Athletic’s Jon Machota. “I know that Dak wants to do anything we can to improve this team.”

Prescott and the Cowboys have reportedly broached the subject of a potential extension for the quarterback.

Jones went further, saying part of the value of adding Lance is that he can learn from Prescott.

“[The Cowboys have] one of the finest quarterback rooms because Dak Prescott is in it,” Jones said, per Machota.

Jones matter-of-factly stated that he doesn’t think the Cowboys will be in a good spot if they need to turn to Lance this season.

“Candidly, I don’t want to plan on, count on, or wish for help from him this year,” Jones said.

Things unraveled quickly for Lance in San Francisco

The trade comes just two days after head coach Kyle Shanahan named Sam Darnold the backup to Brock Purdy, making Lance the third option on the quarterback depth chart. It became abundantly clear then that Lance was on borrowed time in San Francisco, with the franchise exploring all options for the 23-year-old.

“If we can find a landing spot for Trey that is a really good one for him and works for our organization, that’s not something that we’d turn a blind eye to,” general manager John Lynch said Thursday.

Now Dallas bound, Lance will get a fresh start after a tumultuous tenure in San Francisco, in which he suited up in just eight games (four starts), throwing for 797 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions on 54.9% passing. Lance’s career suffered a major setback in 2022, as in the second game of the season of his first as QB1, he suffered a season-ending right ankle injury.

With Purdy, “Mr. Irrelevant” of the 2022 NFL Draft, stepping in after injuries to both Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo and guiding the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game, Lance’s path to being the starter in 2023 seemed nonexistent. That was only confirmed by his showing in the first two preseason games, in which he struggled to separate himself from Darnold in the backup quarterback competition.