Trey Lance will start at quarterback for the LA Chargers in Week 18 in what is a somewhat meaningless game for the Bolts. While the outcome will have an impact on the team’s playoff seeding, the Chargers clearly don’t feel as if wild-card seeding is enough of a reason to play Justin Herbert.

Lance likely won’t be the only backup starting on Sunday and time will tell just how aggressive the Chargers get with their rest. Whatever backups join Lance on Sunday will still have plenty to play for, as for many of them, Week 18 is a showcase for future contracts or starting opportunities.

Lance’s situation is particularly interesting as he looked solid in the preseason and has a built-in reputation as a former first-round pick. If Lance excels against a Denver defense with everything to play for, he may convince a quarterback-needy team to make him their next reclamation project.

And while it seems like half the league always needs a quarterback, there is one compelling potential fit for Lance that could wind up happening if he plays well against the Broncos.

The Minnesota Vikings should watch Trey Lance closely in Chargers-Broncos

The Minnesota Vikings have an interesting quarterback situation on their hands this offseason. J.J. McCarthy didn’t necessarily light the world on fire in his sophomore year, but there aren’t many other avenues for the Vikings to take to find a better quarterback.

McCarthy has shown potential in recent starts, giving the Vikings enough reason to roll the dice with him next season. But Minnesota still needs insurance in case McCarthy can’t step up to the plate, or continues to struggle with injuries. This strategy saved Minnesota’s season in 2024, and the team tried it again in 2025 with Carson Wentz to no avail.

Wentz is 33 years old and the Vikings are better off bringing in a younger quarterback, like Sam Darnold in 2024, with something to prove. Lance checks a lot of the same boxes as Darnold, and may be worth a flier for a Vikings team that needs depth.

Lance still wouldn’t be in line for a starting job but he would be joining a team with a quarterback whisperer at head coach with a much more unstable starting position. The only chance Lance will ever get to play in Los Angeles is if Herbert gets hurt. In Minnesota, there would be a real path.

Lance is still only 25 years old and has run a similar offensive style in San Francisco. It may seem absurd now to suggest that O’Connell could unlock his potential, but it seemed equally as absurd to say the same thing about Darnold and Daniel Jones before he actually did it.

If Lance goes out and has a terrible game against Denver, it may kill any chance he has at becoming the next reclamation project in Minnesota. But with a strong outing, he may just pique the interest of the one head coach who may be able to get the most out of him.

As for the Chargers, they can just replace Lance with whatever veteran hits the market this offseason. Los Angeles isn’t in a position to invest heavily in a backup quarterback like the Vikings.