Vikings Trade Proposal Lands Former No. 3 Pick to Back Up McCarthy

Getty Quarterback J.J. McCarthy of the Minnesota Vikings.

The Minnesota Vikings must tailor their offense around J.J. McCarthy in the coming years, and that could include finding a backup that better suits McCarthy’s skillset.

Former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance could fit the bill.

Lance’s future with the Dallas Cowboys was put into question after news that Dallas would decline Lance’s fifth-year option and send him into the final year of his rookie deal.

The Marshall, Minnesota, native, whom the San Francisco 49ers gave up three first-round picks to acquire in 2021, has not shown enough to warrant a team to pick up his $22.4 million option. The Cowboys appear ready to move on from Lance and could recoup some draft capital by trading him before October’s trade deadline.

A mobile quarterback, Lance has similar traits to McCarthy and has untapped potential that intrigued 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan — whose offense is akin to Kevin O’Connell‘s scheme in Minnesota.

While Lance failed to rise to expectations in San Francisco due to several injuries and losing his job to Brock Purdy, he’s continued to develop in several of the league’s most quarterback-friendly systems.

Considering the Cowboys acquired Lance for the cost of a fourth-round pick, a fifth-round pick would suffice either outright or part of a pick swap.

Lance is still only 23 years old — two months younger than 12th overall pick Bo Nix — and could be a developmental backup behind McCarthy who could offer immense upside due to the mobility and accuracy he showed in college.

None of the Vikings’ current quarterbacks are true dual-threats outside of McCarthy, which could warrant finding a backup who’s a better fit for the McCarthy plan.

Vikings Linked to Trey Lance at the NFL Combine Before Drafting McCarthy

GettyTrey Lance netted the biggest trade return among quarterbacks in the 2021 draft.

While the Vikings entertained all options at quarterback that involved moving off Kirk Cousins this offseason, Lance’s name became subject of conversation at the combine in March.

Rich Eisen reported on March 5 that one of the biggest rumors that was heard in Indianapolis was that there was interest in Lance landing in Minnesota.

“I heard this rumor (at the combine), that a possible solve at quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings is a native of the state, and his name is Trey Lance,” Eisen said on his show.

Eisen went on to speculate a potential trade during the draft that never materialized as Minnesota landed McCarthy instead — but that doesn’t take away that there have been numerous reports over the years that the Vikings have hovered around the idea of bringing in Lance.

Trey Lance’s Bad String of Luck, Timing in the NFL

GettyNiners quarterback Trey Lance.

Lance’s fall from grace in the NFL has come due to several circumstances outside of his control.

In 2021, the 49ers selected Lance as a raw talent and gave him a year of development behind starter Jimmy Garoppolo. He won the starting reins in 2022 but suffered a season-ending leg injury in Week 2 that opened the door for Purdy. A pair of deep playoff runs from Purdy ultimately sent Lance packing his bags for Dallas.

He’s started just four games in his career and gone 2-2, amassing 797 passing yards for five touchdowns and three interceptions. He also rushed the ball 54 times for 235 yards and a score, per Pro Football Reference.

Overall, the plan to develop Lance was derailed, and he just hasn’t played enough football. Lance has just 591 pass attempts in his entire career since high school — that’s fewer than some NFL quarterbacks attempt in a single season, and pales in comparison to the 2024 quarterback draft class.

For example, Nix, played out all five years of his eligibility in college, attempting 1,936 passes in that span. Nix had nearly five times as much exposure to Divison I-level talent.

Lance is behind and may never catch up to his contemporaries, but if he flashes that potential that once made him a prized prospect in the draft, he could be a valuable asset moving forward.