Cowboys planning to give backup QB 'a ton of reps' this offseason

Quarterback Dak Prescott's future with the Dallas Cowboys is up in the air as he's heading into the final season of the four-year, $160 million deal he signed in 2021.

With that in mind, the Cowboys want to see what they have behind him in Trey Lance in the scenario Prescott is gone next year.

"We know Dak. We know 'Coop [Rush]. [Lance] is the question mark," offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said, via Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "It's gonna be all about getting him a ton of reps throughout OTAs, minicamp, and then training camp. You're gonna see him getting a ton right leading into the preseason."

Dallas traded a 2024 fourth-round pick to the 49ers for Lance last year, but the team still doesn't know what it has in him.

The No. 3 overall pick in 2021 served as Prescott's backup in 2023 after an injury-riddled first two seasons in which he threw for 797 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions in eight games.

Still, there's no arguing the upside of Lance. There's a reason San Francisco traded three first-round picks as part of the trade package to move up to the third overall pick to draft him a few years ago.

Lance just became expendable when the 49ers struck gold with 2022 Mr. Irrelevant, Brock Purdy.

Like Prescott, Lance is also heading into the final year of his rookie deal after the Cowboys unsurprisingly declined to pick up his $22.4M fifth-year option. 

However, if he proves he deserves another shot at a starting job this offseason, he will provide a much cheaper option at the position than Prescott will in a year. 

The only way to do that is by getting reps, which is something that Lance has lacked. Since leaving high school, he has started just 17 games at North Dakota State and four games in the NFL.

Schottenheimer acknowledged that needs to change and will.

"There's so much he doesn't know that he's got to figure out," Schottenheimer added. "He can be a really good player because he's wired the right way and the way he works. We just got to give him the opportunity to show us that with the year under his belt and being comfortable."