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Trey Lance re-signs with Chargers
If there’s one thing about the Chargers‘ offense that doesn’t need fixing, it will be the backup quarterback position. According to several reports, the Chargers have agreed terms with Trey Lance on a one year deal to come back and back up Justin Herbert yet again. While the former No. 3 overall selection in the draft has not had his career pan out the way he hoped, he has proven to be highly capable as a backup.
He has bounced around the league several times, finally finding a home with the Chargers last year. After Justin Herbert sustained a hand injury that lingered throughout the end of last season, there were times when Lance’s number was called upon. Perhaps the biggest moment came when he had to fill in for Herbert for a couple of snaps in Week 13, when Herbert initially suffered the injury.
A Steady Presence in Limited Opportunities
From there, he earned a Week 18 start as Jim Harbaugh rested all his starters. He looked very solid in that game, as he threw for 146 yards and ran for 69. In fact, he earned a lot of praise from coach Harbaugh about how he handled the whole situation.
“Just that presence that he has while he’s out there, calm cool, collected,” Harbaugh said of Lance. “Put in that position he was calm, cool and collected. Goes about his responsibilities, that’s the quarterback’s, that’s his job”.
For Lance, it has always been about never being able to break through. With the 49ers, a devastating ankle injury essentially ended his time with them, and ever since then, he has never truly gotten a chance to prove himself as a starter.
Fan Concerns and the Bigger Picture
Still, some Chargers fans will see Lance’s re-signing as negative, seemingly not trusting that Lance is the best option should Herbert go down. While he has proven capable, he hasn’t proven that he can genuinely keep a team afloat. In a highly competitive division, should Lance be forced to play a significant number of snaps, he may look mortal.
Perhaps the main factor in several fans’ disappointment is that Lance is not an O-lineman. As days go by without the Chargers acquiring a guard, Chargers fans could grow ever more testy. While Lance’s future could have been determined later down the line this offseason, good guards could be hard to come by.
In fact, many believe that offensive line issues are the difference between a Herbert who can make a Super Bowl run and maybe just even a healthy Herbert. His inability to stay upright will inevitably result in more injury possibilities and as a result, Lance will be seen as the ultimate doomsday scenario.
Trey Lance re-signing is ultimately a fine move for the Chargers. While it may not be what the fans want right now, securing a backup QB for next year is significant. With a much bigger contract(this time in the region of 6.75 million), the Chargers are placing a lost of trust in Lance to succeed when needed. For Chargers fans, they’re hoping they won’t really need him.
Christopher Sheppard Christopher Sheppard is a passionate and knowledgeable sports journalist based in Englewood, NJ pursuing a role in the sports media industry. He covers the NFL for Heavy Sports, focusing on the Dolphins, Chargers, and Buccanneers. More about Christopher Sheppard
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