The Los Angeles Chargers don’t have much, if anything, to play for in Week 18.
They’ve already locked up a spot in the AFC Playoffs and there’s no chance they get a home playoff game. The Denver Broncos have already clinched the AFC West Division title.
That’s why the Chargers are going to sit star quarterback and chronically injured Justin Herbert in Week 18 against the Broncos, who are playing for the No. 1 seed, and will roll out former Dallas Cowboys backup quarterback Trey Lance as the starter.
Lance, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers, played for the Cowboys for 2 seasons in 2023 and 2024.
“BREAKING: Chargers QB Trey Lance will start Sunday’s regular season finale vs. Broncos,” Football Forever wrote on its X account on Monday, December 29. “With the Chargers out of contention to win the AFC West, Justin Herbert will sit out, paving the way for Lance to make his first start with the franchise.”
For the Chargers, it’s essentially a throwaway game. More starters than Herbert could sit.
For the Broncos and more so the New England Patriots, who are also in contention for the No. 1 seed, it’s massive.
Patriots Fans Suddenly Become Trey Lance Fans
The only people more invested in the outcome of the Broncos-Chargers game than Broncos fans will be Patriots fans, who can clinch the No. 1 seed with a win over the New York Jets and a loss by the Broncos.
And that’s all on Lance, who is familiar with starting late-season games that mean nothing to his team — his only start with the Cowboys came in Week 18 of the 2024 regular season against the Washington Commanders with Dallas out of playoff contention.
Against the Commanders, Lance was actually pretty good. He went 20-of-34 passing for 244 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions while also rushing for 26 yards on 6 carries.
“Trey Lance I believe in you,” Patriots fan Big Huncho wrote on X. “Shine my son.”
“If Trey Lance beats Bo Nix … I will be insufferable,” Chargers fan Timmy Thunder wrote on X.
“Trey Lance I never lost faith in you,” Patriots fan Steven Blathras wrote on X. “Go get me this 1 seed.”
The numbers show us the Patriots shouldn’t hold out too much hope.
“Since 2022, Trey Lance has played in 9 games with three starts: 55.3% completion, 550 passing yards, 124 rushing yards. 1 fumble, 0 TDs, 2 INTs, 8 sacks, 61.1 passer rating, 36.9 QBR,” DNVR’s Zac Stevens wrote on X.
Cowboys Didn’t Want Lance Back in 2025
The Cowboys weren’t willing to spend the relative pittance to bring Lance back as Prescott’s backup in 2025, instead trading with the Patriots for second year quarterback Joe Milton.
Lance, meanwhile, signed a 1-year, $2 million contract to back up Justin Herbert on the Los Angeles Chargers.
Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski believes Lance could restart his career as a starter with another team when free agency rolls around in 2026. Playing well against the Broncos could go a long ways toward that.
“As the backup of the Chargers, Lance has a chance to reset,” Sobleski wrote. “Obviously, he has an opportunity to watch a quarterback of Herbert’s caliber play on a weekly basis, which has been at an MVP level to start the current season.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post AFC Playoff Team Turns to Former Cowboys Backup QB in Week 18 appeared first on Heavy Sports.