5 Cowboys Playing for Their Job in Preseason Week 1

4. Trey Lance, QB

The 2024 NFL preseason could be the most important of Trey Lance's career thus far. The former 2021 third-overall selection was acquired by the Cowboys from the San Francisco 49ers last summer, however, Dallas decided to decline his fifth-year option back in May, leaving his long-term future up in the air.

After spending the entire 2023 season on the sidelines, Lance now has a chance to steal the QB2 job behind Dak Prescott. The role has been held by Cooper Rush since 2018 outside of a short stint with the New York Giants, leaving many to wonder if it was finally time for a change in the QB room.

So far, Lance's training camp has been a mixed bag. On one hand, he's made some nice throws and has even used his scrambling ability to get out of some tricky situations. The former North Dakota State gunslinger has 235 rushing yards and a touchdown on 54 career NFL touches.

On the other hand, Lance has also made his fair share of blunders during practice, which includes Wednesday's interception to third-year linebacker Markquese Bell.

Continuing to make those kinds of mistakes won't do Lance any favors. The Cowboys already know what they have with Rush and could be more inclined to keep him on as the QB2 if the 24-year-old — who's attempted just 420 passes since 2018 — proves that he still isn't ready for an NFL job.

After being teased as a "large part" of the Cowboys' preseason plans by head coach Mike McCarthy, Lance must figure out how to realize his potential if he wants to continue his career.