29 August 2023 , 15:04
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Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garappolo has expressed his happiness for former teammate Trey Lance after his recent trade.
Lance was traded from the San Francisco 49ers to the Dallas Cowboys last week and in exchange, the Niners received a future fourth-round draft pick, Lance was the No.3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft but this off-season saw him lose out to Brock Purdy in the battle to be the starting quarterback for the Niners.
And with Sam Darnold handed the back-up QB spot, Lance was traded to the Cowboys in a bid to kick-start his career in the NFL. He will likely be the third-choice quarterback in Dallas behind starter Dak Prescott and back-up Cooper Rush.
Will Grier was subsequently released by Dallas after the trade for Lance. Grier played the entirety of the pre-season game against the Raiders, completing 29-25 passes for 305 passing yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions. Garoppolo and Lance were teammates in San Francisco prior to the end of last season when Garoppolo had been the starting QB prior to suffering a foot injury in November, when Purdy took his chance after stepping into the team.
The Raiders eventually signed Garoppolo - and he will likely be the starting QB in Las Vegas - and he has reacted to the news that his former teammate has been traded from San Francisco and expressed his happiness at the chance for Lance to be a success in Dallas. "Excited for Trey. Just a new opportunity for him," Garoppolo told . "Things didn't work out in San Francisco for whatever reasons, but glad that he gets another shot, man.
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“This league's all about opportunities, and when you get a fresh one like that, you've just got to take advantage of it. Everyone has their own path and everything like that. It's never going to be easy, but it's how you come out the other end of it. So I'm always excited for him, man. He's a brother of mine. Always pulling for him."
The only possibility of a reunion for Garoppolo and Lance in the NFL this season is if the Cowboys and the Raiders both reach the Super Bowl. However, were that to happen it’s unlikely Lance would be involved in the game unless Prescott and/or Rush is unavailable to take to the field.