No one expected the quarterback the Raiders drafted to replace Jimmy Garoppolo, who signed with the team from the San Francisco 49ers in March, to be traded nearly five months later.
But that's where things stand now that the 49ers traded Trey Lance to the Cowboys over the weekend for a fourth-round pick in 2024.
Although Garoppolo's departure from San Francisco was precipitated by Lance's arrival there two years ago, the 31-year-old quarterback holds no animosity toward the former No. 3 overall choice.
According to NFL.com, Garoppolo stated, "I'm pleased that he gets another shot, man." He went on to say that "things didn't work out in San Francisco for whatever reason,
" but he was happy for him to have another chance. To paraphrase one player, "When you have a new chance like that, you just have to seize it," the league is "all about opportunity."
Like current Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, Garoppolo was a high-priced veteran who was effectively placed on notice.
Garoppolo's five-year, $137.5 million contract that he signed in 2018 was coming to an end, and it appeared that Lance had rendered him unnecessary.
It's a similar situation for Prescott. There are still two years left on his four-year, $160M contract, but at age 23, Lance may not be young enough to entice the Cowboys to re-sign him.