While several signal-callers remain on the open market after the first three weeks of free agency, the most notable names being Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins, and Russell Wilson, and a number of teams undoubtedly ready to add one in the upcoming draft, the majority of QB rooms around the NFL are close to being set for the 2026 campaign.
As such, our pal Christopher Kline at FanSided.com recently took the time to rank every single one of those current QB rooms, and Los Angeles Chargers fans aren't going to be too happy with the results, as Justin Herbert & Co. failed to crack the top 10, which played out as follows:
- Buffalo Bills (Josh Allen, Kyle Allen, Shane Buechele)
- Kansas City Chiefs (Patrick Mahomes, Justin Fields, Chris Oladokun, Jake Haener)
- Cincinnati Bengals (Joe Burrow, Joe Flacco, Josh Johnson, Sean Clifford)
- Los Angeles Rams (Matthew Stafford, Stetson Bennett IV)
- Baltimore Ravens (Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley)
- New England Patriots (Drake Maye, Tommy DeVito)
- Green Bay Packers (Jordan Love, Desmond Ridder, Kyle McCord)
- Dallas Cowboys (Dak Prescott, Sam Howell, Joe Milton III)
- Detroit Lions (Jared Goff, Teddy Bridgewater)
- Chicago Bears (Caleb Williams, Tyson Bagent, Case Keenum)
And just outside that group reside the Bolts, who came in at No. 11. Now, with all due respect to Kline, I can't say I agree with every selection he made here. But I do at least agree with why he opted to leave Los Angeles out of the top 10, as he made it pretty clear in his assessment that this placement isn't about knocking Herbert but more about the lack of confidence in backup Trey Lance.
"There should be tremendous excitement around the Chargers this season. Jim Harbaugh teams always win in the regular season, but L.A. has run up against a postseason wall throughout the Herbert era. Now, Mike McDaniel will take over O.C. duties. His postseason track record isn't exactly elite, but he's one of the most creative playcallers in the NFL. Herbert is not Tua Tagovailoa; the Chargers should produce explosive results from the jump. Herbert is too talented and too smart not to break through eventually.
"L.A.'s backup situation is less inspiring, but Trey Lance is a former top-three pick whose dual-threat ability could unlock something new under McDaniel's guidance."
At least he tried to spin the "less inspiring" comment into a positive, right?
The Chargers had better backup QB options than Trey Lance this offseason
Now, it needs to be noted that Lance wasn't the only backup taken into account here, as the Chargers' QB room also includes DJ Uiagalelei, who signed with the Bolts as an undrafted free agent last year and spent his entire rookie season on the practice squad. But the backup focus is obviously on the former first-rounder.
Look, it really is a shame what happened with Lance after the San Francisco 49ers made him the No. 3 overall pick back in 2021, as that devastating ankle injury in his second season ultimately cost him his job after Brock Purdy eventually stepped up to steal the QB1 role after Jimmy Garoppolo also went down with an injury.
But if I'm being honest again, I firmly believe the Chargers had better options at QB2 this offseason than bringing back Lance on another one-year deal, with Garoppolo being one of them. Truth be told, Cooper Rush, who sat ahead of Lance on the depth chart when both were with the Dallas Cowboys, may have also been a better choice.
Are either of those guys as athletic as Lance? Of course not. But Mike McDaniel doesn't necessarily need a mobile QB for his offense to work, just one that can operate efficiently in his system. And efficiency certainly isn't Lance's strong suit, as evidenced by his 54.0 percent career completion rate and 71.9 career passer rating. Let's not also not forget that in the four starts he's made over the past four seasons, he's failed to throw a single touchdown pass but has tossed a trio of interceptions.
Nevertheless, Jim Harbaugh seems to really like Lance, so unless something drastic happens, he seems set to once again be the Bolts' QB2 for the 2026 season. Thankfully, Herbert has a habit of staying healthy.