For those itching to watch some football, the NFL preseason gets underway Thursday with the annual Hall of Fame Game.
This year, it pits the Detroit Lions against the Los Angeles Chargers in the showcase event played in Canton, Ohio.
Any San Francisco 49ers fans tuning in to scratch their football itch will see a familiar face: Trey Lance.
The Chargers announced on Tuesday that Lance will start the Hall of Fame Game at quarterback for L.A.
Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh announces Trey Lance will start the HOF game.
— Alex Insdorf (@alexinsdorf99) July 29, 2025
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It’s not necessarily an honor for Lance, though.
The Chargers are sitting out star quarterback Justin Herbert with the regular season still more than a month away.
They’re also not using Taylor Heinicke unless there’s an emergency, Harbaugh told reporters. That implies Heinicke is currently slotted as Herbert’s direct backup.
Lance is apparently QB3, and he’ll be followed in the second half by the rookie out of Clemson, DJ Uiagalelei.
The former No. 2 overall draft pick, Lance is trying to somehow prove he still belongs in the NFL.
He started four games for the 49ers, going 2-2 in those contests with a 54.9% completion percentage and five TD passes compared to three interceptions. He also had 235 rushing yards on 54 carries for the ‘Niners with a TD.
San Francisco traded Lance to the Cowboys in August 2023. He didn’t see the field that season, but he did start a game for Dallas in 2024. Lance appeared in four Cowboys contests overall, throwing 25-for-41 for 266 yards and an INT while rushing 11 times for 41 yards.
At this point, it seems unlikely Lance will suddenly break through to NFL stardom.
But there he’ll be on Thursday night, ringing in the NFL preseason, a familiar face that never lived up to the hype.
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