Jim Harbaugh's Latest Wild Quote Might Be Scarily Accurate Soon

The Los Angeles Chargers can rest easy knowing they have one of the best backup quarterback situations in the entire NFL.

After years of struggles and even trades to find the right guy behind Justin Herbert, Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh found his guy with Trey Lance.

Lance fits their system and has shown flashes of competence when called upon. He’s also younger and, in theory, reaching for his ceiling. And on the business side, he’s probably got some pretty good trade value in the future if all goes well.

These are things that Harbaugh himself recently spoke about in public around league meetings, throwing out some pretty notable comparisons in the process.

Jim Harbaugh summons big comparisons for Trey Lance

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

Harbaugh sees Lance as something of a guy who is next in line.

According to Matt Barrows and Vic Tafur of The Athletic, Harbaugh recently said he thinks there’s a rise for a former high-pick turned backup like Geno Smith and Sam Darnold in store for Lance.

“Great guy, great pro, great competitor — and we saw some really good development in him last year,” Harbaugh added. “And it continues. He’s at that age, right? I mean, that’s the fat part of the bat right there for a quarterback. So I’m excited for his continued progress.”

There was some classic Harbaugh in there, too, of course: “He’s gotta be 26 by now, right?”

Lance turns 26 in May.

Funny moment from Harbaugh aside, this isn’t the typical coach-speak thing from him. Everyone has seen the flashes since Lance joined the Chargers.

More importantly, this is a new NFL. Former “failed” quarterbacks are getting more and more chances in new places. Malik Willis is the latest.

Harbaugh’s comments echo what he said when they re-signed Lance in March:

"Just that presence that he has while he's out there, calm cool, collected. Put in that position he was calm, cool and collected. Goes about his responsibilities, that's the quarterback's, that's his job. Be the leader on the field and leader in terms of executing the run play or the pass play with efficiency, securing the ball and added responsibility of making sure that we win."

For now, Lance is in Los Angeles, where the Chargers have many reasons to keep helping along his development. But one doesn’t need to be able to predict the future to see where this might be going eventually.

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