Trey Lance is getting another opportunity.
The NFL preseason is just around the corner, with the Los Angeles Chargers taking on the Detroit Lions in the Hall of Fame Game this Thursday.
And interestingly enough, a familiar face for the San Francisco 49ers will be front and center in the action: former first-round pick Trey Lance.
Lance, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, will be the starting quarterback for the Chargers, according to head coach Jim Harbaugh, and is expected to play into the second half of the game.
The former 49ers quarterback has been competing with veteran Taylor Heinecke to serve as Los Angeles’s backup to Justin Herbert this offseason. He’ll now get a big opportunity to showcase his progress, working with Chargers 2025 first-round running back Omarion Hampton and second-round wide receiver Tre Harris.
“I just want to get Trey Lance game experience,” Harbaugh said on Tuesday. “With his career and then in college, he doesn’t have as much as most guys.”
“He’s had a heck of a camp.”
While “veteran traditional starters” won’t play for the Chargers, several younger players, including 2023 first-round offensive lineman Zion Johnson, will suit up for Los Angeles in the Hall of Fame Game.
Lance will be backed up by undrafted free agent D.J. Uiagalelei, while Heinecke will dress as the emergency third quarterback.
Lance began his career with the 49ers, serving as a backup to Jimmy Garoppolo as a rookie while seeing action in six games, including two starts.
He then entered the 2022 season as the team’s starter, but suffered an ankle fracture that cost him his entire sophomore campaign just two games into the year. With Brock Purdy emerging as the team’s starting quarterback after a strong rookie year, Lance competed with Sam Darnold to be the team’s backup in 2023, but lost the competition and was subsequently traded to the Dallas Cowboys for a fourth-round pick.
After not seeing the field in 2023, Lance played in four games last season, starting one for the Cowboys, while throwing for 266 yards and an interception with a 61 percent completion rate.
Now, he’s with the Chargers after signing a one-year, $2 million deal this offseason that included $1.5 million guaranteed. While it seems likely he’ll make the roster, Lance is looking to push for the backup spot, and will get signficant game reps on Thursday to open up the NFL’s preseason.