Chargers Save Face as Trey Lance’s Contract Details Emerge

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paul White | Last updated Apr 12, 2025 8:10 AM ET

The Los Angeles Chargers shocked everyone earlier this week when they signed quarterback Trey Lance to a one-year deal.

It’s never a bad idea to add some talent in the quarterback room in the event that your starter gets hurt, but it was the salary that people took issue with.

It was reported that the former No. 3 overall pick would be making up to $6.2 million.

In today’s NFL that’s actually a solid price tag for a backup, but the Chargers already inked Taylor Heinicke to a new deal where it was presumed he would back up Justin Herbert.

So, there may be a competition for the QB2 role, but it would be egregiously bad to pay your emergency quarterback that type of money.

As it turns out, the Chargers didn’t randomly go buck wild with their spending.

A new report about the contract states that Lance’s base salary is just over $1 million, and it can escalate to $6.2 million if he hits all his incentives.

Nobody knows what most of these incentives are, but if they are tied to playing time then there is a slim chance Lance will collect the money.

The former San Francisco 49ers draft pick has copious amounts of untapped potential, but he’s played in just 12 games over his four years in the NFL.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, he will never be the starter in Los Angeles.

But Herbert has encountered some bumps and bruises in his career, so if he goes down, the Chargers may have another athletic, strong-armed gunslinger to replace him.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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