The Dallas Cowboys are free from the burden of having to watch every snap that former first-round pick Trey Lance puts on display in the preseason, as he has been cut loose following the dismissal of Mike McCarthy and his inability to become a better backup than Cooper Rush.
The Los Angeles Chargers decided to give Lance one more chance at proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is worth holding on to as a backup. The Cowboys were burned by their faith in Lance, and it looks like the Chargers are unfortunately starting to head down the same path.
The Chargers have given Lance most of the second-team reps in camp so far, implying he has an edge over veteran Taylor Heinicke and strong-armed UDFA DJ Uiagalelei in the battle for Justin Herbert's backup job. Lance will start in the preseason Hall of Fame game against the Detroit Lions.
Cowboys fans (and 49ers fans, to a lesser extent) know all too well what the Chargers are going through right now. They are getting seduced by the physical traits and will get burned when the time to actually play quarterback comes.
Cowboys fans can laugh at Chargers after starting Trey Lance
Lance's low volume of college passes was not a deterrent from being picked third overall in the 2021 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. For every Josh Allen or Herbert, who posseses otherwordly physical traits, there is an Anthony Richardson or Lance that doesn't pan out.
In the preseason, and the limited game action he has received, Lance's strong arm and terrific mobility have often been overshadowed by his poor mechanics, risky decision-making, and struggles with accuracy in the pocket. His famous five-interception preseason game killed a good deal of the bombast he entered every year with.
While Lance does have upside and the running ability Greg Roman would like to see in his offense, a more traditional and accurate pocket quarterback like Heinicke could be more appealing for a coach in Jim Harbaugh who always preaches limiting turnovers above all else.
If Lance were even a second-round pick, or lacked one of his two standout traits, it seems incredibly unlikely that he would still be in the league. The Chargers are that person who is seeking out someone with past trauma in the hopes that they can fix them, even though teams like the Cowboys have tried and failed beforehand.