The Los Angeles Chargers decided to take a high-upside swing on a quarterback that can support Justin Herbert. Even after a tough Dallas Cowboys stint, former top pick Trey Lance has found himself another job in the pros.
The Chargers signed Lance to a one-year contract worth over $6 million. While he will compete with veteran Taylor Heinicke for the backup quarterback job, the superior physical talent Lance has could suggest he is the frontrunner.
Like the Dallas Cowboys before them, Los Angeles is banking on their coaching being so exceptional that they finally turn the North Dakota State product into a long-term asset. Time will tell if they are the only ones who could finally solve this Rubik's Cube.
Chargers sign QB Trey Lance to one-year contract
Lance, who was picked No. 3 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers, has started just five games in his NFL career due to a combination of injuries and poor performance. In his final preseason start with Dallas, Lance was intercepted five times. He failed to throw a touchdown pass in a Week 18 loss to Washington that served as his only Cowboys start,
Still, his talent was enticing enough for the Chargers to take a swing on despite dwindling interest. Lance's arm strength and mobility are both exceptional, which is likely what got the Chargers so interested in trying to fix him.
The Chargers will likely be able to create a competition between Lance and Heinicke, who is a smaller player that fits a more traditional pocket-passer mold. Given Greg Roman's past expertise at designing offenses based around mobile quarterbacks, Lance may have the upper hand here.
In an ideal situation, Lance would never take a snap in any meaningful Chargers game while Herbert takes this team on a deep run in the postseason. However, LA needs to invest resources in any backup plans that can be activated in a worst-case scenario situation.
Ultimately, Lance's success will be determined by how enticing the upside of what he could be ends up being in the eyes of Jim Harbaugh when compared against what Heinicke is now.