Trey Lance feels like a rookie again.
The quarterback is in his third season in the NFL, but he is only a month into his stint with the Cowboys.
The Cowboys traded for Lance on Aug. 25, giving the 49ers a 2024 fourth-round pick in exchange. He was the No. 3 quarterback in San Francisco behind Brock Purdy and Sam Darnold, and he is the No. 3 quarterback in Dallas behind Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush.
But Lance, the third overall pick in 2021, is happy to be where he is.
“It’s been good for me to get a new look and a fresh start. It’s a breath of fresh air here,” Lance said, via Nick Harris of the team website.
Lance is trying to learn the offense without the benefit of many reps. That has meant spending extra time in the meeting room with quarterbacks coach Scott Tolzien.
Three hours before every game, Lance and Tolzien are on the field to run through that week’s checklist.
“Scotty always has a checklist,” Lance said. “He wants to hit on stuff that we’ve talked about throughout the week that I didn’t have time to get reps on. A lot of different throws and a lot of different reps. It’s great for me and I’m thankful for him that he’s able to do that for me pregame. I get a great workout in, and I have his eyes on me the whole time.”
Lance is the Cowboys’ break-in-case-of-emergency quarterback, so barring a worst-case scenario, there is no rush for him. The Cowboys didn’t trade for Lance for him to help them this year.
“He’s doing well,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said. “I’m glad he’s here, that’s for sure. He’s a great addition. He does everything. He’s part of the quarterback school, he’s putting in the extra hours. He’s doing everything he’s supposed to be doing.”
The Cowboys play the 49ers in Santa Clara in Week 5.
