Trey Lance has been given a new lease on his NFL career, with the 23-year-old being traded to the Dallas Cowboys on Friday.

In return, the San Francisco 49ers will receive a fourth-round selection in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Transitioning from the NCAA to the pros has been a difficult one for Lance, namely because of injuries as the third overall pick in 2021 suffered a season-ending ankle injury in a week two victory over the Seattle Seahawks last year.

In limited NFL action, Lance completed 15-of-31 passes for 194 yards and an interception last year after being named the starting QB ahead of Jimmy Garoppolo only weeks earlier.

Quarterback injuries were a recurring theme for Kyle Shanahan’s team in 2022 as Garoppolo would suffer a season-ending injury later in the campaign before Brock Purdy came in and went 5-0 to finish the year, leading them to the NFC Championship, where he would get hurt in a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

San Francisco will be getting a lot less back as part of this deal when compared to what they gave up acquiring Lance, trading away three first-round draft picks and a third-rounder to the Miami Dolphins in March 2021 for the opportunity to select the Marshall, Minnesota native in 2021.

Purdy was named the Niners starter in training camp ahead of the upcoming regular season, with Sam Darnold being the backup, a clear message that Lance, in San Francisco’s eyes, was deemed expendable.

While the two-time national champion named MVP in the title game for North Dakota State in 2020 will get a fresh start in Dallas, his best-case scenario at the moment is being the backup to Dak Prescott.

Lance has featured in eight career NFL games, completing 54.9% of his throws for 797 yards and five scores, plus three picks.