Football fans seem excited about the latest developments in Trey Lance’s career.
The former San Francisco 49ers draft bust, and former Dallas Cowboys backup, is with the Los Angeles Chargers now. And in both of L.A.’s preseason games so far, Lance has drawn praise.
On Sunday, he was just 7-for-14 passing for 55 yards. But he showed off his rushing talent with seven carries for 48 yards, including a touchdown.
ESPN’s Louis Riddick was pumped on X during the performance and wrote this:
“Trey Lance is with the right program, right Coach, right QB room. No BS. No agendas. He has a chance to see what he can actually now become. Happy AF for him.”
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The implication of Riddick’s words might not be the favorite of San Francisco fans. It implies that the 49ers and Kyle Shanahan weren’t ready to work with Lance.
It might be better to read into it in the positive way, that Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh is finding a way to get the most out of Lance.
A few social media posters have compared this maturation process to what Harbaugh was able to get out of Colin Kaepernick in San Francisco.
It may not be that dramatic, but it’s encouraging for Lance’s future in this league.
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He’s at least made some case to be the QB2 with the Chargers. Taylor Heinicke entered camp as the favorite in that competition.
Justin Herbert, of course, will be the starter. And as long as he stays healthy, he’s not going anywhere.
But Lance has shown enough potential to start inviting quiet trade rumors, or to possibly get a shot at playing if Herbert ever goes down.
It’s a better place than Lance was in at the end of the 2024 season. And at this point in his career, any progress is good progress.
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