Trey Lance—once buried under layers of hesitation and broken timelines in San Francisco—is now being actively rebuilt in Los Angeles. Jim Harbaugh isn’t just giving him a shot; he is architecting a second act. And he doesn’t want to rush the process. With a one-year deal in hand and preseason reps stacking up, Lance is competing for the QB2 spot and growing fast. In Los Angeles, Lance finally has what he lacked before. Indeed, that newfound support came into focus under the lights in Canton.

Fast forward to Thursday night in Canton, and Harbaugh’s intentions couldn’t have been clearer. This wasn’t just a developmental courtesy for Trey Lance, but a solid statement. Harbaugh laid his intentions bare during the postgame press conference after the LA Chargers‘ win over the Detroit Lions in the 2025 Hall of Fame Game.

The Chargers head coach spoke about why Lance got the full workload in the Hall of Fame Game: he needs it, as “He’s been playing good. College, not as much as most guys have coming out of college in terms of starts and games,” Harbaugh said. “And then he gets into pro ball and wins a starting job… and then gets hurt.” That broken rhythm is something Harbaugh is focused on correcting.

“That’s what we’re trying to give him,” he emphasized. And Lance, to his credit, delivered—completing 13 of 20 passes for 120 yards, two touchdowns, and a 137.5 passer rating. Just as importantly, he played with calm and confidence: “acquitted himself well,” as Harbaugh put it.

There was nothing forced or overcoached about what Lance showed Thursday. He looked fluid in the pocket, and maybe for the first time since college, free to just play. That wasn’t accidental. It is the same philosophy Harbaugh used to revive Alex Smith’s career and unleash Colin Kaepernick in San Francisco: keep it simple, trust the instincts, and let the reps build rhythm. According to Pro Football Network, Lance “looked the part for the first time in the NFL.”

Grant Cohn was more pointed in saying that Harbaugh is doing what the 49ers never did—giving Lance the space to grow through mistakes, rather than yanking the leash every time he falters. Cohn also remarked after Lance’s impressive Chargers debut, “Since when does Trey Lance throw with touch?? Jim Harbaugh is unreal.” For the first time in years, Lance didn’t look like a project, but more like a pro.

That same ethos was on display elsewhere, too. Enter Naheem Miller-Hines, a former UFL running back who got on the radar with a five-minute tryout and hasn’t let go since. After bouncing back from a torn ACL and starring with the UFL’s Michigan Panthers, Hines caught Harbaugh’s eye during a brief tryout.

“He’s been football ready since he got here,” Harbaugh said, and Hines proved it. Once a dynamic returner in Buffalo, Hines led the Chargers in rushing and flashed on special teams in the Hall of Fame Game. His career totals with over 3,000 all-purpose NFL yards remind teams of what they nearly forgot. This is the Harbaugh formula in action: find hungry players, give them reps, and let the game speak for them.

Harbaugh’s mindset about Lance is pretty clear

Here’s the kicker: Harbaugh didn’t hesitate. Trey Lance is his guy—at least for now—and the Hall of Fame Game was his proof of concept. The 25-year-old quarterback didn’t just manage the game; he owned it with his sharp execution. And Harbaugh didn’t temper expectations. “That’s the fat part of the bat for a quarterback,” he said, marveling at Lance’s age and developmental upside.

“Gosh, to be 25 again, wow.” He is investing in the present and the long haul. “So excited about where he’s heading,” Harbaugh added, making it clear the plan is to feed him reps. “Glad to be… in the middle of that story too,” he smiled. And then, without blinking: “Keep rolling, keep rolling. More reps next week.” There is freedom in Lance’s game now that didn’t exist under Kyle Shanahan, who once seemed to trust him less than a clipboard. Lance’s goal is simple. That is to start again. “I want to be a starter one day,” he told reporters.

Harbaugh has reportedly scheduled Lance for more starting reps in the coming preseason games, including extended first-half duty against Seattle. Inside Chargers camp, the competition for QB2 is wide open, with Taylor Heinicke still in the mix, but momentum is tilting Lance’s way. And now, it is the Chargers, not the 49ers, who might end up cashing in on the talent they never fully unlocked.