The preseason is one of the only chances for NFL backups to plead their cases, and the Cowboys Week 3 clash with the Chargers was Trey Lance's turn to do so.
The 26-19 loss saw Dallas coming from behind for much of the matchup, unable to catch Los Angeles, which had backup Easton Stick at the helm. Lance played the entire contest, completing just under 70 percent of his passes for over 300 yards and contributing heavily to the run game, as well.
Here's everything to know about Lance's stats today, as the Cowboys quarterback dazzled and disappointed with five interceptions in the preaseason finale vs. the Chargers.
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Trey Lance stats today
Lance put up a respectable 323 passing yards and one passing touchdown despite tossing five balls into the Chargers' hands. He took three sacks in four quarters and fumbled twice (both recovered by Dallas), but he led the Cowboys in rushing with 90 yards and one score on the ground.
Here's a look at Lance's up-and-down statline from Dallas' final preseason game.
| Comp/Att | Comp. % | Pass yards | Pass TDs | INTs | Passer rating | Sacks | Rush yards | Rush TDs | |
| Trey Lance | 33/49 | 67.4 | 323 | 1 | 5 | 52.9 | 3 | 90 | 1 |
Trey Lance highlights
One of Lance's true highlights of the day came late in the third quarter on a truly speedy touchdown run nearly from midfield. The quarterback skirted the left side of his blockers and made a dash up the sideline for a score, bringing the Cowboys within one score.
Earlier, Lance showcased his arm just before the end of the second quarter. He floated one to the left corner of the end zone on second-and-goal for Ryan Flournoy who hauled it in for the team's first touchdown of the game.
Despite being unable to put more than two touchdowns on the board, Lance did give spectators more of a preview of his arm's range with a monster throw targeting his teammate down the sideline. Unfortunately, it didn't result in points but it was a good effort by the quarterback nonetheless.
Lance's day didn't come without faults—several of them. The third-stringer dealt five interceptions on the day, one of which came in the end zone in the third quarter.
His third interception was just as unfortunate, resulting in a pick-6 where Lance was bulldozed as the Chargers defender crossed the plane.
Lance's next INT was the definition of a "takeaway," as he escaped a closing pass rush and fired a strike to his receiver, who had it wrestled away from the Chargers' defender.
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Will Trey Lance be traded?
Today's outing showed why it's tough to trade Lance — for both teams in the deal. His tantalizing dual-threat skill creates potentially seller's remorse for his current team, but his inconsistent play makes it tough for another team to give up anything of value for him. It's also unlikely the Cowboys will trade Lance considering they gave up a fourth-round pick for him in August 2023 and won't want to accept much less in return. The market has only gotten tougher, with Justin Fields, a former starter, heading to the Steelers from Chicago for a conditional sixth-round draft pick this offseason.
There are few teams looking to make that kind of swap for the likes of Lance, so it looks as though he will be competing in Dallas to be Dak Prescott's backup for the upcoming season.
Jerry Jones came out after Saturday's game and assured the media that Lance will be "on the roster," so he at least doesn't have to worry about cut day.
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Cowboys QB depth chart
Speaking of Prescott, he's slated as the Cowboys starter again in 2024, with or without a new contract. Lance is likely to find his name on the team's official 53-man roster, as is Cooper Rush, who is listed as the team's second-string quarterback at the moment.
Here's a look at Dallas' current quarterback depth chart ahead of Week 1.
| Position | First | Second | Third |
| Quarterback | Dak Prescott | Cooper Rush | Trey Lance |