Who is Trey Lance? Chargers' starting QB breakdown before kickoff vs. Lions

The Los Angeles Chargers have two former first-round quarterbacks on their roster. Justin Herbert, who was taken with the No. 6 overall pick in 2020. Then there's the newcomer in Trey Lance, taken No. 3 overall just one year after. Here's a look at Lance's journey to the Bolts.

The limited college experience

Lance was taken out of North Dakota State University, the same school that produced Carson Wentz. Many believed Lance could follow the same path. His time was very limited at NDSU, as he played in just 19 games over the course of his college career: two in 2018, 16 in 2019 and just one in 2020. The one season Lance played in the most was obviously his best, throwing for 2,786 yards, 28 touchdowns and *zero* interceptions, while adding in another 1,110 yards and 14 scores on the ground.

The miscalculation

The San Francisco 49ers believed that Lance could develop into their future franchise quarterback, despite the limited experience in college. They believed in Lance so much, they gave up a king's ransom to move from No. 12 to No. 3 overall in 2021 with the Miami Dolphins

The Niners coughed up three consecutive first round picks from 2021-2023, as well as a 2022 third-round pick. Lance started just four total games in San Francisco, appearing in eight total. Injuries seriously derailed the course of his career.

Once Lance was healthy, he wasn't able to grasp the offense well. Due to the rise of Brock Purdy, Lance became expendable, leading to the Niners trading him to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2024 fourth-round pick.

The Trey Lance experiment in San Fransisco ended with him throwing for just 797 yards and five touchdowns to three interceptions.

Present day

Lance signed a one year, $2 million deal with the Chargers this offseason. He had received the majority of snaps with the second-team offense during training camp so far, as he has a real shot to be the Bolts' QB2 in 2025.

Lance will start Thursday night in the Hall of Fame game, a big opportunity to show he belongs.