Trey Lance is quietly winning Chargers camp battle as preseason action approaches

For the most part, the Los Angeles Chargers' work in training camp is pretty clear-cut.

They, first and foremost, need to determine a starter at left guard. While it seems like Branson Taylor has popped in recent practices, it's likely that Jake Slaughter and Kayode Awosika still have a shot to claim the spot by the end of training camp. They also have decisions to make in the linebacker rooms, with UDFA Nadame Tucker challenging for a roster spot and Junior Colson desperately trying to defend his job against the rising Marlowe Wax.

But another under-the-radar competition has been brewing since OTAs. Third-string quarterback DJ Uiagalelei put up a string of impressive performances in the offseason program, and there was some buzz surrounding a possible battle between him and Trey Lance for QB2.

In truth, the path was always going to be steep for Uiagalelei— and the most he likely could've accomplished this offseason was to set the stage for a real battle in 2027. Still, it seems as though Lance has quieted that buzz, and his familiarity with Mike McDaniel should help him lock down the Chargers' backup quarterback job for another year.

Trey Lance is still the Chargers' backup quarterback— and all signs point to it staying that way for the near future

The Chargers' QB situation beyond Justin Herbert is, let's just say, an interesting one.

Uiagelelei has obviously shown major improvement since he came into the league as a UDFA, displaying greater command over the ball and more consistency in his mechanics. Lance, meanwhile, has experience as a starter, but there's nothing particularly inspiring on his résumé— especially not if he has to take multiple starts in place of Herbert.

Lance played under McDaniel in his lone season as offensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers. He's familiar with what it takes to play in a Kyle Shanahan/Sean McVay-style scheme. Any chance Uiagalelei had to steal the job this season was always slim. But a poor performance from Lance in training camp could've amplified the buzz that started to pick up during the offseason program.

Lance has looked sharp, however.

In a clip of some individual reps for Herbert and Lance posted by ESPN's Kris Rhim yesterday, Lance looks comfortable in the dropback mechanics that McDaniel has attempted to institute this offseason, and his throws look crisp and confident.

This is just one set of reps, and it's unwise to draw major conclusions. Both Uiagalelei and Lance will paly extensive snaps in the preseason— especially when the Chargers kick off on Aug. 13 against the Houston Texans.

But Lance has also taken all of the second-team reps with the offense to this point in camp, working behind a line that's primarily featured pieces like Slaughter, Pipkins, Awosika, Trevor Penning, and Travis Burke.

If there were a chance for Lance to lose his spot this offseason, there'd be much more buzz coming out of these practices. But it seems that the organization is still more than confident in Lance's ability to progress as a backup, and that leaves Uiagalelei firmly as the QB3 for the time being.

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