Jim Harbaugh's gamble paying off as Trey Lance shines again for Chargers

The resurrection of Trey Lance continues. Thanks, that is, to the Los Angeles Chargers' quarterback's improved play and an assist Sunday afternoon from Taylor Heinicke.

For the second consecutive preseason game, the former No. 3 overall draft pick protected the ball and produced a touchdown. In the 27-13 victory over the New Orleans Saints at SoFi Stadium, Lance seemingly did enough to close the gap in his battle with the veteran Heinicke for the job to be starter Justin Herbert's backup.

Playing three ineffective series, Heinicke completed only one of five passes for eight yards and was sacked once. Lance, meanwhile, completed 7-of-14 passes for 55 yards but also ran the ball seven times for 48 yards, including a 17-yard scramble and a five-yard scoring run that was the Chargers' only offensive touchdown of the game.

Lance certainly hasn't been dynamic in the passing game, averaging only 6.0 and 3.9 yards per attempt in his two preseason performances. But most importantly he has protected the ball, not committing a turnover in wins over the Detroit Lions and Saints.

In his final preseason start for the Dallas Cowboys in 2024, Lance essentially lost the backup job by throwing five interceptions.

After dismal stops with the Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers, the rest of the NFL appeared ready to give up on Lance and he was even being courted by Canadian Football League teams. But Chargers' head coach Jim Harbaugh signed him as a free agent in April.

So far, Harbaugh's gamble is paying off.