The Chargers had a resurgent year under first-year Head Coach Jim Harbaugh. Fresh off his National Championship with Michigan in 2023, Harbaugh took a team that finished 5-12 while he was in Ann Arbor to an 11-6 second-place finish in the AFC West and a playoff berth.
One of the more fun storylines out of the Chargers locker room this past year has been the relationship between quarterback Justin Herbert and Coach Harbaugh. The two consistently hyped each other up and even played catch before each game. The relationship turned into results on the field for Herbert as he finished with 3,870 yards, 23 touchdowns, and a career-low three interceptions, playing in all 17 games.
Now it appears a new backup has come into town in the form of former San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance, and Dak Prescott certainly shared his feelings about the deal.
Dak Prescott Hypes Up Former Teammate Trey Lance
On his Instagram page, @_4dak, Cowboys quarterback Prescott hyped up his former teammate for the new one-year, six-million dollar deal he secured to head out to Inglewood. Prescott shared the picture the Chargers and Lance’s Instagram page posted and threw in a “Yesssir! LFG.” It seems someone still believes in Lance and his ability—that someone is Prescott.
Lance saw minimal playing time in Jerryworld. With the rise of Brock Purdy in San Francisco, Lance quickly became an afterthought in Kyle Shanahan’s offense, so the former 2021 third-overall pick was shipped to Dallas after two seasons in the Bay area. Lance was a healthy scratch for the 2023 season while being the third-string quarterback behind Prescott and Cooper Rush.
Following Prescott’s season-ending hamstring injury in Week 9, Lance became the backup to Cooper Rush and replaced him in the fourth quarter in Week 10 following Rush’s poor. Lance also started the final regular season game, his first start since 2022, against the playoff-bound Commanders.
Lance finished the game, completing 20 out of 34 passes for 244 yards in the 23-19 loss. His Dallas tenure ends with 25 passes completed out of 41 attempts for 266 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception.
Jim Harbaugh: The Quarterback Whisperer
Perhaps Prescott is excited for his former teammate because he knows he will be in trustworthy hands with Harbaugh. Over his years as a head coach, Harbaugh, a former quarterback himself, developed quarterback talents like Andrew Luck and J.J. McCarthy (two first-round NFL picks).
He also revitalized Alex Smith’s career when he took over as the 49ers’ head coach in 2011 and developed Colin Kaepernick, who would guide the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance, Harbaugh’s first and only one so far.
Prescott certainly sees ability and potential in former first-round pick Lance, and pairing him with Harbaugh will hopefully give him the tools to learn and grow as a quarterback. There will be no replacing Justin Herbert so long as he stays healthy, but perhaps this will give Trey a chance to prove what his potential could be if given the opportunity.
Harbaugh took Smith and turned him into the first-round pick that the 49ers hoped he would be. When he was traded to Kansas City, the 49ers got a second-round pick in return, proving that Smith had earned back most of his value.
If Harbaugh can guide Lance and have him learn from Herbert, maybe the former first-rounder will build some of his original value back and prove he belongs in this league. Whatever the case, Prescott is in his corner and hopeful for success.