The Dallas Cowboys have a single game left on their 2024 season and it will feature the third quarterback to play significant snaps for them this season. That is the verbiage being used as it relates to Trey Lance, according to Friday’s report from NFL media.

Sunday’s game will be the third that Dallas will play after being mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. Aside from the first where it was the case against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, we have seen the Cowboys dial back the intensity ever since they were formally eliminated from consideration for the playoffs. It is worth noting the elimination came just a few hours before that Tampa game which is why they (in all likelihood) went at that game the way they did.

With time for the situation to take though we saw the Cowboys shut CeeDee Lamb down for the season last week, the most glaring indication that they were waving the white flag on 2024. Ever since this season took a turn at the quarterback position specifically, we have seen the Cowboys insist on competing to win and to their credit they have managed to do that in impressive manner with Cooper Rush under center.

Obviously circumstances have changed though which is why the Cowboys feel comfortable going with Trey Lance at quarterback to whatever degree the word “significant” ultimately yields. While this will mark the third quarterback to play a large role for Dallas this season as noted, it marks the first of this variety for Lance in a Cowboys uniform. What’s more is it marks his first legitimate action period since his last start which he made for the San Francisco 49ers way back in Week 2 of the 2022 season. He went 2 for 3 for 30 yards (with 3 rushes for 13 yards) before being injured and lost for that year.

It was almost a full 365 days later when the Cowboys traded for Lance and it took until November 10th of the 2024 season for him to throw a pass in a regular season game for the team in some mop up duty against the Philadelphia Eagles. We have noted this several times over, it was a horrific trade for Dallas having sent a fourth-round pick for Lance’s services.

Importantly, Lance is a free agent after this season so the idea that the Cowboys could have been getting a look at him for the future wasn’t exactly a genuine one. Still though, it will be interesting to see how he looks in a game that isn’t in the preseason.

For what it’s worth, the Cowboys are hosting Washington in the season finale for the first time in nine years. During that 2015 season finale the Cowboys also started a quarterback down the roster in a meaningless game and he had quite the day. The quarterback in question was Kellen Moore who threw for 435 yards. At the time it was the sixth-most passing yards in a game for a Dallas Cowboys quarterback.

Additionally, consider that the Cowboys are making this decision despite a potential incentive that Cooper Rush could reach based on playing time.

The word “significant” is obviously vague as it relates to Lance, but Ian Rapoport noted that he could wind up throwing more than 20 passes. It stands to reason that this would inhibit Rush from reaching that incentive.

If Lance were under contract for the future then this move could be more justified from the Cowboys. While many have argued to see him, it isn’t talking out of both sides of the proverbial mouth to say that this isn’t necessarily the best way to go about it. Rush has been an incredible soldier for several years now and the Cowboys may be purposefully making a decision that is going to cost him money all in a meaningless game, and all in a likely vain effort.