The Los Angeles Chargers don't have much to be worried about in terms of their depth. That's been one of Joe Hortiz's calling cards since he arrived with the organization, and they have plenty of talent on both sides of the ball who can (thankfully) step in when injury strikes.
But across the Chargers' first two preseason games, their depth in the quarterback room beyond Justin Herbert hasn't been all that inspiring. Neither Trey Lance nor DJ Uiagalelei seems to have anything close to command over the offense, and both players have had old habits and issues crop up during their drives in the preseason.
Jim Harbaugh said after the matchup against the San Francisco 49ers that the competition for the QB2 spot was still "tight." Given Uiagalelei's lack of NFL experience, it's hard to believe he has any chance to truly challenge for the backup job this year.
But setting that to the side, Uiagalelei and Lance are entering the Chargers' preseason finale against the Los Angeles Rams with a mission— they need to give the team something to be optimistic about with their QB2 situation.
The Chargers need some level of confidence in their QB depth heading into the season
Things have rarely looked pretty for either Lance or Uiagelelei in their extensive preseason reps.
Lance completed just 12 of his 20 passes for 164 yards and an interception against the Houston Texans, and he routinely seemed to be forcing throws and putting the ball in harm's way. He then followed that up with a 10-for-16, 73-yard performance against the 49ers that saw the Chargers offense get routinely stalled in the first half.
He looks comfortable and confident in what Mike McDaniel is asking him to do in his shotgun stance, but his ability to read the defense is almost non-existent at times. He doesn't have the accuracy to take advantage of the tight windows he attempts to exploit, and he's failed to fully shut the door on Uiagalelei through his two preseason appearances.
Uiagalelei, in his smaller sample size, has made some impressive throws and has stayed somewhat consistent in terms of accuracy. He completed six of his nine passes for 120 yards against the Texans, and he completed 7-of-15 against San Francisco for 80 yards— recording a touchdown in each appearance.
But like Lance, his processing of the defense isn't entirely there, and he seems jumpy and not entirely comfortable in the pocket on many of his dropbacks.
Could Los Angeles look to make a move for a QB2? It's possible— if neither Lance nor Uiagalelei is able to put up a confident performance in this final preseason game. Even if the competition there is simply founded on coach-speak, therefore, the pair of QBs have a common goal heading into this preseason finale.
At the very least, show enough promise that their performance is no longer an imminent anxiety for Chargers fans.
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