The San Francisco 49ers has agreed to trade quarterback (QB) Trey Lance to the Dallas Cowboys for a fourth-round NFL Draft pick in 2024, just 24 hours after the team's general manager, John Lynch, had said that Lance was "most likely" to stay.

Here's a brief wrap-up of Lance's career as a 49er: The team gave up three first-rounders and one second-rounder for the No. 3 pick to draft him in 2021. He spent most of his rookie season as the backup for Jimmy Garoppolo, but still started in two of the six appearances he made; he became the 49ers' starting QB in the 2022 season, but only played two games before an ankle injury cost him the rest of the campaign; on Wednesday, coach Kyle Shanahan told Lance that he will be the team's No. 3 QB, after Brock Purdy and Sam Darnold; on Friday, he was traded to the Cowboys.

"Trey took a little bit of time to think about it, came back and said he'd like to find another spot if he can," Shanahan recalled. "That's when we started to look into it – his agent and us."

"It did advance – in a hurry – today," Lynch said. "I'm not doing cartwheels over it, because my preference would have been to have it work out (with Lance). And it didn't."

Lance's departure enabled the 49ers to clear $9.3 million of cap space for the 2023 season and $5.3 million for the 2024 season. The Cowboys has found a promising backup – considering Lance was drafted at No. 3 – for their franchise QB Dak Prescott, who has missed 17 games in the past three seasons.

It's worth noting that the 49ers and the Cowboys have faced each other twice in the playoffs over the past two years. They will meet again in the regular season at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on October 8.

"Everyone in this locker room has his (Trey's) back, for sure," Purdy said. "Everyone was dapping him up, hugging him and everything. Obviously, it's tough seeing one of your buddies leave. But at the same time we're all excited that, 'Man, he's got a good opportunity ahead of him.' And he was in great spirits."

"Trey has an incredible personality," QB Brandon Allen said. "He was upbeat yesterday, the same Trey he's always been. Obviously, talking to him, he had his feelings about certain things. I think if anything, he should be excited about his opportunity with Dallas. Knowing him, he's going to use it as a stepping stone. It's a good opportunity for him."

Fullback Kyle Juszczyk recalled seeing Lance at breakfast on Friday, but when he arrived at Levi's Stadium later that night, everyone already knew Lance had been traded and was no longer there.

"That's what I told other guys," Juszczyk said. "The NFL moves quick, man, and this is a perfect example of it."