Reason No. 1 why the Vikings shouldn't trade for Trey Lance
Minnesota won't really get to benefit from Trey Lance's rookie contract
Every player that is selected in the first round of the NFL Draft is given a rookie contract with a length of four years that has an option for a fifth season.
In the case of Trey Lance, since he was drafted in 2021, he still has at least two years left on his rookie contract. A third year could also be added to the end of Lance's rookie deal, but that's a decision that likely won't have to be made until May of 2024.
So if Minnesota trades for Lance, they could do one of two things. They could have him sit for a season behind Kirk Cousins and take over as the team's starter in 2024 or they could figure out a way to get rid of Cousins before the start of the 2023 season and have Lance immediately become their starting quarterback.
Whatever route the Vikings choose to take, they'll still have Cousins on the books until 2025. So even if Minnesota acquires Lance and figures out a way to move on from Cousins this year, the Vikings' quarterback room in 2024 is still likely going to cost them more than $30 million.
So that pretty much defeats the whole purpose of Lance being an enticing trade target based on him still having two years left on his rookie deal. With the way that Minnesota re-worked Cousins' deal this offseason, he won't be off the books until Lance's fifth season in the NFL.
Is Lance worth the risk of trading valuable assets for if the Vikings can't even take advantage of the low salary caps in his rookie contract?