The Minnesota Vikings briefly contemplated pursuing a trade for quarterback Trey Lance of the Dallas Cowboys following an Achilles injury to their starter, Kirk Cousins. According to a report by The Athletic's Diana Russini, the Vikings engaged in discussions with the Cowboys regarding Lance as a potential replacement.

Minnesota was forced to assess their options after Cousins suffered a devastating Achilles injury during a recent game. Seeking to minimize the long-term impact on their team-building, the Vikings explored the possibility of acquiring Lance to fill the void left by Cousins.

Ultimately, the Vikings decided to trade for Josh Dobbs of the Arizona Cardinals, surrendering a sixth-round draft pick in the exchange. The move aimed to address their immediate quarterback needs without compromising their future plans beyond 2023, as detailed by Russini.

Considering the earlier trade between the Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers, which saw Lance being sent to Dallas for a fourth-round pick, it is believed that Minnesota would have had to offer a more substantial package than just a sixth-round pick to secure the young quarterback's services.

The interest in Lance from the Vikings does not come as a surprise, as reports from April indicated that discussions for a potential trade took place between the 49ers and Vikings during the NFL Scouting Combine. However, those talks did not result in a deal, and Lance found himself in a backup role for the 49ers during training camp.

With Lance expressing a desire for a new opportunity after being demoted to the third-string quarterback position, the 23-year-old was eventually traded to the Cowboys in August.

Minnesota's potential pursuit of Lance would have offered an intriguing landing spot for the former third overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. As Lance has yet to see significant playing time and has faced injury setbacks early in his career, his true potential remains uncertain.

As the Vikings move forward with Dobbs as their temporary replacement for Cousins, fans and analysts will continue to speculate on what might have been if Lance had donned the purple and gold. Nevertheless, his future with the Cowboys provides an opportunity for development and potentially proving doubters wrong.

The Vikings, however, will focus on supporting Dobbs as they navigate through Cousins' absence and work toward maintaining their competitiveness on the field.