Lance entered the game with just over two minutes remaining. He completed one pass for one yard in the brief cameo.

Lance joined the Cowboys in 2023 after being acquired from the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick. The former third-overall pick brought intrigue but faced limited opportunities behind Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush on the depth chart.

Lance got the majority of preseason reps for the Cowboys but did little to impress or show the Cowboys that he could be Prescott’s primary backup entering the regular season. He completed 73 of 113 pass attempts with 662 passing yards, two passing touchdowns and five interceptions. He added 24 carries for 168 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.

Rush has played decently in relief of Prescott, who is out for the season. But Sunday’s game against the Eagles got out of hand early, and there were calls for Lance to enter the matchup earlier.

“Hey uh. Cowboys are getting their doors blown off in a game that already had no impact on the standings. Why isn’t Trey Lance finishing this out?” David Helman of Fox Sports wrote on X.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance

© Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

Lance eventually got his shot, but the timing was what drew criticism.

“Finally: Trey Lance. But come on, Mike, throwing him in with 2 minutes left of a 41-7 game in Philly???,” Skip Bayless said.

A fan added: “There needs to be an investigation into why the Cowboys refuse to give Trey Lance a look.”

The Cowboys declined Lance’s fifth-year option, and is set to become a free agent. He’ll likely be seeking a new opportunity next season and the trade for Lance has been a total bust for the Cowboys.

As a member of the Cowboys, Lance has completed four passes for 21 yards with an interception. He’s ran the ball four times for 14 yards.