Lance, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, could compete for the Chargers backup quarterback job behind Justin Herbert

Eric Smith

One of Jim Harbaugh's favorite phrases has struck again.

Competitors, welcome.

It's a slogan Harbaugh has repeatedly said since he arrived in Los Angeles. And it rang true again Friday when the Chargers agreed to terms with quarterback Trey Lance.

A quick refresher on Lance.

He starred at North Dakota State, going 17-0 as a starter and leading the Bison to an FCS national title in 2019.

Lance was then the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by the 49ers and appeared in six games as a rookie, starting two of them.

Lance began the 2022 season as the starter but suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2. He was traded to Dallas, didn't play in 2023 and played in four games (one start) with the Cowboys in 2024.

So, why did the Bolts bring him in, especially since they already brought back Taylor Heinicke in free agency last month?

This is just another example of Harbaugh and Chargers General Manager Joe Hortiz trying to bring as much talent and competition to the practice field and locker room as possible.

When Heinicke came back, the expectation was that he was going to be Justin Herbert's backup. And while that may still end up being the case, he's going to have to earn it in an offseason and training camp battle with Lance.

Let's be clear again. This is Herbert's team through and through.

However, a little competition never hurt anyone, and now the Bolts are poised to have a fun battle for the backup quarterback spot in the coming months.

Lance is obviously a talented player whose NFL career probably didn't play out the way many thought it would to this point.

He's only appeared in 12 total games with five starts in four years. And he's only thrown 143 NFL passes, completing 81 of them for 1,063 yards and five touchdowns.

But let's see what Lance has once he gets under the tutelage of quarterbacks coach Shane Day, Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman and Passing Game Coordinator Marcus Brady.

The addition of Lance is a low-risk, high-reward move from Hortiz and the Chargers. Let's see how it unfolds over the spring and summer.

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