Trey Lance’s Chargers outburst spurs Jim Harbaugh revival chatter, shocking fact

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Trey Lance got the nod on Thursday night in the preseason opener against the Detroit Lions and quickly captured the attention of the globe.

Lance, the former third-overall pick who is just looking to oust Taylor Heinicke from the No. 2 spot behind Justin Herbert, quickly drummed up a 9-of-12 line with 97 passing yards and two touchdowns, good for a 137.8 passer rating by halftime.

More shocking than the big-armed, accurate throws, though, was this little fact thrown out by the broadcast:

OK, shut it down, we've already peaked tonight being told Trey Lance is younger than Tyler Shough
— Sam Monson (@SamMonsonNFL) August 1, 2025

That’s New Orleans Saints second-round rookie Tyler Shough, by the way.

Lance also happens to be younger than, say, Michael Penix Jr. of the Atlanta Falcons, the eighth overall pick in 2024.

And in the AFC West, Lance is younger than Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, the 12th pick in 2024.

Lance has been in the league since 2021 and is already on his third team.

Nobody would go as far as to suggest Lance, still just 25, is about to push Herbert or anything of the sort. But the Jim Harbaugh revival buzz quickly spread on social media, and frankly, for good reason.

Harbaugh would be more than happy to suddenly roster one of the better No. 2 quarterbacks in the league, even at Lance’s “up to” $6.2 million deal. And if Lance keeps this up for the next month, he could be a pretty interesting name to watch on the market next offseason, too.

Jim Harbaugh hyping up Trey Lance. Football is so back. pic.twitter.com/iCaz7nOqGh https://t.co/90DNZlTljH
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 1, 2025

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