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If you’re looking for an NFL team that has some previous knowledge of Lance and could really use a sound backup, look no further than the Miami Dolphins.

While quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has impressed when healthy, his injury history has to give the Dolphins some pause about not having the best-possible option behind him.

McDaniel knows Lance from the season he spent with him in San Francisco, and should injury strike again with Tagovailoa, Lance could step right in and run the offense that McDaniel likes. It might not be as efficient at first, but it could give the Dolphins a preview of what Lance can do if they have cold feet about signing Tagovailoa to a long-term deal.

This would be the best-case for Lance, as it would give him an offense he knows with a possible starting gig he could work toward down the road.

POSSIBLE TRADE: Lance to Miami for a 2024 fifth rounder

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A Sean McVay disciple, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell could be looking for the heir apparent to quarterback Kirk Cousins in Minnesota once Cousins’ deal ends at the end of the season.

If the team wanted to move on from the veteran quarterback, they could trade for Lance now, let him sit this season and learn the offense (similar to San Francisco’s) and try him out next season in a quarterback competition.

Lance would be in the driver’s seat for any 2024 competition, and it could be a savvy way for the Vikings to move on from the Cousins era with a quarterback who better fits their offense.

POSSIBLE TRADE: Lance to Minnesota for a 2024 fifth rounder

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A few years ago, Bill Belichick sent Kyle Shanahan quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in a trade. Could Shanahan return the favor with Lance?

The Patriots have 2021 first-round pick Mac Jones as the starter at present, but Jones’ has had a rocky tenure in Foxboro. If the Patriots feel like they could maximize Lance’s talent, would they be willing to send a draft pick to San Francisco to develop him for the future?

New England does have reserve quarterback Bailey Zappe on the roster, but Lance has a higher ceiling than both Jones and Zappe. This feels like a very Patriots move; they buy low on a developmental talent and watch him blossom in their system.

Belichick could get away with a steal here and trade Jones to a new team in the future.

POSSIBLE TRADE: Lance to New England for a 2024 fifth rounder 

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The Buccaneers have recently named quarterback Baker Mayfield as the team’s starter, but that could very easily go awry with Mayfield’s spotty history as a starter in the league.

The team might also be wary of handing over the job to Kyle Trask. If they are, Lance could very easily slot into Tampa Bay’s roster as a fallback option and future starter down the road.

Honestly, it’s not impossible to imagine a world where the team trades for Lance and starts him down the road this fall in a hypothetical Mayfield benching. It’s a definite landing spot to consider at this point.

POSSIBLE TRADE: Lance to Tampa Bay for a 2024 sixth rounder, 2025 fifth rounder 

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The Commanders seem pretty happy with quarterback Sam Howell, and the team has journeyman Jacoby Brissett as a high-end backup at the moment.

What if Howell falters? Washington is in a delicate spot, and the team could use an enticing backup option if Howell struggles down the stretch. Enter Lance, who seems like he’d be a nice fit in Eric Bieniemy’s offense.

Bieniemy has worked with none other than Patrick Mahomes, and perhaps he could help Lance develop into a long-term starter for the Commanders if Howell isn’t the guy. Washington could also trade Brissett to a team in need of a quarterback and recoup some draft capital, too.

POSSIBLE TRADE: Lance to Washington for a 2024 fifth rounder 

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The Falcons are in a similar spot to the Commanders where they’re happy with quarterback Desmond Ridder but could be tempted to add Lance to the roster if Ridder struggles.

Lance fits coach Arthur Smith’s run-heavy offense, and he could slot in pretty easily with the Falcons’ impressive personnel group and rocksteady offensive line. Again, Ridder is the starter this fall, and the Falcons seem very optimistic about him. However, Lance could fit in here as a fallback.

In this scenario, the Falcons could trade reserve quarterback Taylor Heinicke if they really wanted to, even though Heinicke just signed in the spring.

POSSIBLE TRADE: Lance to Atlanta for a 2024 fifth rounder 

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If the Raiders want to put Trey Lance in a very familiar situation, they’ll reunite him with his old 49ers pal Jimmy Garoppolo in Las Vegas.

While Garoppolo signed the kind of deal that would hint the Raiders like him for the next couple of seasons, him faltering would put head coach Josh McDaniels on the hot seat.

Having Lance on the roster would help the team have a reliable option to fall back on this season if Garoppolo doesn’t fit the bill. Rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell’s impressive preseason showings could make a Lance trade null and void, but we won’t rule them out just yet.

AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes

There are a lot of teams in the NFL who are settled with their starting quarterbacks but might not like the reserve situation at present.

Teams like the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears, Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants and Denver Broncos could all hypothetically trade for Lance to be a backup.

It’s not the most likely scenario, but it all it takes is a phone call for a contender to feel a lot better about the backup quarterback position.