Chargers announce QB Trey Lance as Hall of Fame Game starter, former No. 3 overall pick gets opportunity

Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh announced that quarterback Trey Lance will start for the Los Angeles Chargers Thursday in Canton to kick off the NFL preseason. The Chargers take on the Detroit Lions. The Chargers quarterback room also includes starter Justin Herbert, as well as veteran Taylor Heinicke.

Lance joined the Chargers this offseason, signing a one-year, $6 million contract. The former No. 3 overall pick spent the last two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, after two years with the San Francisco 49ers. The 25-year-old started one game for the Cowboys last season and appeared in four games, going 0-1, with 266 passing yards, no touchdowns and one interception on the year.

Lance’s career began with a lot of hope as an early first rounder and began his career as a backup behind Niners quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, but a season-ending ankle injury derailed his sophomore season after just two games. He went from the starter in 2022, to spending the entire season on the bench, as Brock Purdy rose to success and put Lance’s starting role in jeopardy. 

San Francisco went with Purdy as its future passer, leaving Lance to find a new home in Dallas. In 2023, his first year with the Cowboys, he was a healthy scratch and didn’t appear in any games. Lance has five starts, a 2-3 record, with 12 total appearances, 1,063 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions in his career. 

Herbert headlines the Los Angeles Chargers offense. He threw for 23 touchdowns to just three interceptions last season with 3,870 passing yards. In five seasons since the Chargers used the No. 6 overall pick on him out of Oregon, Herbert has 21,093 passing yards, 137 touchdowns and 45 interceptions with no need for a heavy preseason workload.