The Los Angeles Chargers have finally found a backup quarterback behind franchise star Justin Herbert. On Saturday, the team re-signed Trey Lance on a deal worth $6.75 million for one year. Last year, too, the 25-year-old filled the QB2 role.
In an ideal scenario, the identity of Herbert’s backup would hardly matter. The Chargers would prefer for their star quarterback to remain healthy and play every snap throughout the season. But Lance as a backup would give the team a cushion.
With a new offensive coordinator in Mike McDaniel, the Chargers were preferring a quarterback whose skill set fits better within the evolving offensive system. Lance showed flashes during the preseason, and it appears that his playing style aligened smoothly with McDaniel’s scheme as it did with former coordinator Greg Roman.
What Trey Lance brings to the Chargers
The 25-year-old signal-caller will remain in Los Angeles after a limited role during the previous season. His only start with the Chargers came in the regular-season finale against the Denver Broncos, a game in which many starters were resting. Lance completed 20 of 44 passes for 146 yards and threw one interception in the appearance.
Lance has long been considered a developmental quarterback. Despite being selected third overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, he played only 19 games during his college career at North Dakota State and has yet to receive an extended run of starts in the NFL.
His professional career began with the San Francisco 49ers, who drafted him with the No. 3 overall pick. Over two seasons in San Francisco, Lance started four games and compiled a 2–2 record while completing 56 of 102 passes for 797 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions. An ankle injury eventually cost him the starting role and opened the door for Brock Purdy’s emergence as the 49ers’ quarterback.
The Dallas Cowboys later acquired Lance in 2023 in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick. However, he did not appear in a game that season and saw action only once the following year, starting the 2024 regular-season finale against the Washington Commanders.
In that game, Lance completed 20 of 34 passes for 244 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions and added 26 rushing yards on six carries in a 23–19 loss.
