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One Ranking Says Trey Lance Making Less Than Minnesota's QB3 Is a Red Flag
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- One Ranking Says Trey Lance Making Less Than Minnesota's QB3 Is a Red Flag
In Justin Herbert , the Los Angeles Chargers have one of the NFL's most talented and physically imposing quarterbacks. Many feel he is poised to have one of his best, if not his best, seasons in new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel's faster, more open offensive scheme.
But the team's offensive line is a concern, and it has had trouble staying healthy. After the injuries that starting offensive tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater suffered last year, and with the left guard and center positions a question mark, some are worried or even expecting that Herbert will suffer another injury this year.
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If Herbert does get hurt and has to miss time, QB2 Trey Lance would almost certainly take over for him. But that in itself could be a reason for concern.
Lance hasn't grown the way he was expected to
Aug 13, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans defensive end Solomon Boyd (50) tackles Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Trey Lance (5) during the third quarter at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
There was a time when people were hyping Lance up. He was the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft despite playing in the NCAA's Football Championship Subdivision at North Dakota State University, but the San Francisco 49ers saw enough in him to give up three first-round picks to be able to draft him.
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Since then, Lance hasn't proven much, if anything. He has occasionally and briefly flashed some dual-threat skills, but he hasn't sustained any decent production. San Francisco named him its QB1 prior to the 2022 season, but he suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2.
He started in Week 18 last season for the Chargers, but he completed only 20 of 44 passing attempts and had one interception and zero touchdown passes in a 19-3 loss to the Denver Broncos .
The Ringer ranked every NFL team's quarterback room, and while the Bolts came in at a robust No. 7, Diante Lee warned that there is one sign that the organization may not trust Lance.
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"2021 first-round pick Trey Lance, who has bounced from San Francisco to Dallas to L.A., has been a project for head coach Jim Harbaugh, but in limited preseason work, we haven't seen much evidence that Lance is developing as a pocket passer. Lance is probably a low-risk, high-reward investment, and he's making less than Carson Wentz is as the Vikings' QB3, but having Lance (and raw practice-squad QB DJ Uiagalelei ) as the backup plan feels like a major risk considering how often Herbert takes a beating."
After Lance played lackluster football this preseason, some felt that Uiagalelei should've been named L.A.'s QB2, but Harbaugh and crew went with Lance instead. Lance completed 22 of 38 passing attempts for 237 passing yards, no touchdowns and one interception, while Uiagalelei went 24 of 42 for 341 yards and two touchdown passes during the preseason.
This is perhaps another reason for Harbaugh and McDaniel to lean heavily on the running game at times this season. They have a second-year running back in Omarion Hampton who could be poised for a huge breakout season, as well as decent backups in Keaton Mitchell and Kimani Vidal .
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Maybe Herbert shouldn't be kept in bubble wrap until November, but he shouldn't be saddled with a huge burden to the point where he will risk taking violent hits from opposing pass-rushers that could cause a serious injury.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Sep 10, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
