Chargers' Trey Lance contract details reveal it isn't as bad as feared

All of the drama and headlines over the Trey Lance contract with the Los Angeles Chargers were exaggerated and unnecessary, as expected. 

When the Chargers signed Lance to serve as Justin Herbert’s backup, the team took some serious heat because the reports mentioned the contract being “worth up to $6.2 million.” 

But as we stressed at the time, that “worth” word was doing some absolutely heavy lifting. 

Fast forward to now, Over the Cap reports that Lance has a paltry $1.5 million in base salary with $170,000 per-game roster bonuses. Just $1.17 million of the salary is guaranteed and the cap hit is just $2 million. 

Not bad for a 25-year-old former No. 3 overall pick. 

At this point, everyone knows the deal with Lance. The Chargers were unhappy with the backup quarterback position last year and traded for Taylor Heinicke late in the process. Now, they’ve added more competition there and could end up keeping three quarterbacks on the final roster or letting the best man win coming out of the summer. 

Either way, the Chargers grabbed some upside on the open market at an affordable rate. And while fans might not like it, Herbert’s consistent injury woes over the last few years made it a necessity. 

If Lance is actually seeing playing time during the regular season and reached that $6.2 million through multiple means, the money will be a moot point during a possibly lost season, anyway.