Trey Lance’s NFL journey was never supposed to go this way. Picked third overall with a cannon arm and rare athleticism, he was supposed to be the next big thing. Instead? He got buried behind veterans in San Francisco, caught in Kyle Shanahan’s never-ending quarterback shuffle.

Then he landed in Dallas, where the fanfare faded fast and the reps were few. System to system, coach to coach, one thing hasn’t changed: nobody’s actually trusted him to run the show. Then came a coach who doesn’t believe in subtle. Now? Trey won’t just be sitting in the trenches. And the guy pulling the strings? He’s built a reputation turning long shots and second chances into redemption arcs.

Commentator Skip Bayless took to X to highlight exactly what it means for Trey Lance to be playing under Jim Harbaugh. “As I’ve said, I believe Jim Harbaugh envisions Colin Kaepernick in Trey Lance. Did you see Harbaugh pounding on Lance’s pads just before kickoff? All this young man needed is a dynamic coach who believes in him and will rebuild his confidence. He’s only 25,” he said.

For over three years, Trey Lance’s career felt like it was stuck in neutral. Drafted No. 3 overall in 2021, he was supposed to be the future in San Francisco. But that future? It barely got off the ground. Between injuries and Kyle Shanahan’s quick trigger at QB, Lance made just five starts and appeared in only 12 games by 2024. Meanwhile, Brock Purdy came in, stole the spotlight, and Lance faded into the background.

Then came that detour to Dallas. After a brutal preseason finale where he threw five interceptions, his shot at climbing the depth chart vanished. The regular season? Nothing. No reps, no packages, no momentum. Just one lonely Week 18 start against Washington, where he threw for 244 yards on 20-of-34 passing, no touchdowns, and a flat loss. It wasn’t a redemption arc. It was a reminder: talent means nothing if no one’s willing to tap into it.

Then came Jim Harbaugh. From Stanford to the NFL, he’s built a reputation for reviving careers and unlocking potential most coaches overlook. So when Harbaugh handed Trey Lance the starting job for the 2025 Hall of Fame Game, we knew there was a redemption arc incoming. “He’s had a heck of a camp… I just want to get Trey Lance game experience,” he said. It was clear: he sees something others didn’t, and he’s not interested in letting that talent sit idle any longer.

That trust paid off right away. In his first real snaps since college, Lance looked composed. 13-of-20 for 120 yards and two touchdowns. He dropped a dime to Will Dissly in tight coverage and later hit rookie KeAndre Lambert‑Smith in stride for another score. He took one sack, but stood tall in the pocket and handled pressure like someone finally playing without a weight on his shoulders.

With Harbaugh at the helm, Lance finally has what he’s been missing all along: trust, structure, and actual reps. That one-year, $6 million deal he signed in April felt like a reset button. A real shot. And if Harbaugh keeps shaping him the way he has, this might be the moment Lance stops living in the “what if” category and starts showing everyone exactly what he can be. Oh, and Bayless drew a very interesting parallel, too.

Jim Harbaugh’s Colin Kaepernick blueprint

This Trey Lance reminded Skip Bayless of something, or someone. “As I’ve said, I believe Jim Harbaugh envisions Colin Kaepernick in Trey Lance,” he said. You probably never drew that parallel, but it makes complete sense now that you hear about it.

Back in his 49ers days, Harbaugh made one of the boldest QB calls in recent memory. He benched Alex Smith (who was great, by the way) to roll with Colin Kaepernick. Why? Because Harbaugh saw the raw tools: the arm, the legs, the chaos potential. That gamble paid off big. Kaepernick lit up the Packers in the playoffs with 263 passing yards and a ridiculous 181 on the ground, kickstarting a Super Bowl run.

Ever since that Kaepernick move, Harbaugh’s earned the “quarterback whisperer” tag. He’s not just good at spotting rare QB traits; he knows how to build around them. Whether it was Andrew Luck at Stanford, Alex Smith in San Francisco, or Kaepernick’s breakout, Harbaugh has a track record of reshaping careers by matching belief with the right system.

When Skip Bayless said Harbaugh sees shades of Colin Kaepernick in Trey Lance: big frame, live arm, relentless work ethic, it didn’t feel like a stretch. Watching Lance in the Hall of Fame Game, you could spot the blueprint: clean footwork, fluid rollouts, that easy zip on intermediate throws. It wasn’t about the stats, but the feel. The confidence. The controlled chaos. The kind of flashes Harbaugh has a history of turning into full-blown resurgence.

Make no mistake: no one’s saying Trey Lance is the next Kaepernick. But what’s exciting is the philosophy behind it. And if Jim can do with Lance what he once did with Kaep? This could be more than a career reset for Trey. It could redefine what the Chargers look like moving forward.