Chargers Land a Big Win With Trey Lance’s Quiet Free Agency Return

The Los Angeles Chargers got some good news with the return of quarterback Trey Lance in NFL free agency over the weekend.

There was a very real chance the Chargers were going to need to wait a while to see if Lance found a more attractive job opening on the market.

Instead, the Chargers announced the move on Saturday, locking down the quarterback depth chart behind Justin Herbert in the offense now coordinated by Mike McDaniel.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, it's a one-year deal worth $6.75 million for Lance.

Last year, Lance technically appeared in four games, starting one, but his arrival and impact as the backup ended years of struggles for the Jim Harbaugh regime at the spot.

Chargers, Trey Lance Agree on Deal in Free Agency

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Trey Lance — Trey Lance | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Most teams wouldn’t get this excited about a backup quarterback coming back.

But Lance, the third pick in 2021, had an outside shot to get in a competition for a starting job somewhere else during free agency.

It’s no small thing to secure a high-quality backup quarterback in the NFL right now, either. That's why teams are going with major retreads like Philip Rivers or outright trading for Joe Flacco-types instead of looking for younger backups when it really matters.

That’s especially true for the Chargers, who were never happy with the backup situation before Harbaugh struck a trade in August of 2024 just before the season to acquire Taylor Heinicke.

Even that was short-lived once the Chargers found Lance last year.

"He's learned the system, knows it inside and out, is prepared every week if we call on him. I'm excited with his development,” quarterbacks coach Shane Day said back in Week 13 after Lance entered a game after Herbert suffered a fracture in his hand, per Chargers.com’s Eric Smith.

Continuity for the Chargers and one of the NFL’s better backup situations are two key things locked in with this quiet move.

The short nature of the deal again gives Lance some future flexibility. As for the Chargers, they still have DJ Uiagalelei on the roster and, if coaches really wanted to, could go get some back-end competition and summer reps from college free agents after the draft, it not a veteran.

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