Just a few days ago, the Los Angeles Chargers opened preseason play in just about the best way possible when they took down the Detroit Lions in this year's Hall of Fame Game. Quarterback Trey Lance got the start, and he was one of the biggest winners from this one.
Aside from just looking at his box score and calling it a day, there were other reasons to believe Lance had finally found a real home. Sports Illustrated's NFL insider Albert Breer said as much, too, and confirmed exactly what fans were probably already thinking.
"Sure, it’s only the preseason, and a game in which neither team was really playing anybody. But the calm demeanor Lance exhibited out there, and how at ease he looked moving around and finding open receivers, was great to see..."
Even the experts think Jim Harbaugh is going to be incredible for Trey Lance
Breer not only noted how comfortable Lance looked on the field but also went on to give an overarching takeaway, and it's not hard to see where he's coming from.
"He’s a good guy, and a good worker, and still has tools... At the very least, he’s with a coaching staff, with Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman, that’ll know how to get the most out of him and bring him along," Breer wrote.
Look at Harbaugh's track record with quarterbacks. You can go down a long list, and dating back to college coaching even before Michigan (hello, Stanford and Andrew Luck), Harbaugh has done nothing but succeed with quarterbacks. It's in his DNA, after all. Many times, former quarterbacks do end up being phenomenal coaches.
In this case, Harbaugh is proving it even further. But, he's out to prove it with a guy who many labeled as a "bust" or even the more hyperbolic, "castoff."
Lance was a top draft pick not too long ago, but things didn't work out with the San Francisco 49ers or the Dallas Cowboys. Now, he may be relegated to striving after being one of the league's top backups.
And, if Harbaugh has his way, that's exactly what is about to unfold.