Trey Lance’s NFL journey has been anything but smooth. Back in 2021, the 49ers bet big on him, trading away three first-round picks to move up. And draft what they hoped would be their next franchise QB – the long-awaited answer to the post-Kaepernick era. But things didn’t go as planned. After three underwhelming seasons, San Francisco shipped him off to Dallas for just a fourth-round pick. Then, this past April, Lance landed with the Chargers on a modest one-year deal, his career at a crossroads.

Fast forward to tonight’s Hall of Fame Game, where Lance finally looked like the player the 49ers thought they were getting. Poised, accurate, and most noticeably happy, he carved up the Lions’ defense with the kind of confidence he rarely showed in San Francisco. So what changed? According to 49ers insider Grant Cohn, the answer is simple: Jim Harbaugh didn’t try to remake him. Instead, he just let Trey be Trey. And suddenly, the QB the Niners gave up on is starting to look like the one they once believed in. 

In the Chargers’ dominant 34-7 Hall of Fame Game victory over Detroit, Lance looked like a man reborn. Completing 9 of 12 passes for 97 yards and two TDs in just the first half alone, he operated with a crisp efficiency. “The 49ers messed up,” 49ers insider Grant Cohn fired off after the game. “Trey Lance had his Chargers debut tonight, and he looked great. 13 to 20 for 120 yards, two touchdowns, and a quarterback rating of 114. Where was this when he was on the 49ers?”

Here’s the kicker: Harbaugh didn’t reinvent him. He just let Lance do what made him a star at North Dakota State – play-action rollouts, under-center snaps, attacking defenses on the move. Meanwhile, Cohn argues Kyle Shanahan forced Lance into a Colin Kaepernick mold he never fit. “They tried to turn him into Colin Kaepernick – which is strange because they didn’t want Colin Kaepernick when they could have had him (I’m talking about Kyle Shanahan).“

Tonight’s box score tells its own story. But the real drama is in the contrast. Same QB, different coaching, night-and-day results. And suddenly, that fourth-round pick San Francisco settled for feels like the wrong kind of bargain.

Jim Harbaugh sees what the 49ers missed in Trey Lance

The Chargers might have stumbled onto something special with Trey Lance, and Jim Harbaugh can’t hide his excitement. After Thursday’s breakout performance, Harbaugh gushed about his new quarterback, saying, “If somebody is playing good in practice, they play good in the games.” That simple philosophy might explain why Lance looked so different in a Chargers uniform – calm, confident, and finally playing like the guy who was once the No. 3 overall pick.

Harbaugh wasn’t just blowing smoke, either. “I thought he really had the same kind of composure and poise. Just in control, there’s a presence I’ve been seeing all camp,” he added. That presence was undeniable against the Lions. Lance didn’t just manage the game – he commanded it. His first TD came on a slick fourth-down bootleg, showing off his mobility and decision-making. Then, on the next drive, he floated a perfect deep ball to KeAndre Lambert-Smith.

This wasn’t the same QB who struggled in San Francisco or threw five interceptions in last year’s preseason finale with Dallas. This was a player who finally looked comfortable, like he belonged. And Harbaugh made it clear: “He needs game reps, and he’s gonna get them.” That’s a big deal, because behind Justin Herbert, the Chargers suddenly have a fascinating QB situation. Lance may not be pushing for the starting job yet, but if he keeps playing like this, he won’t just be a backup.

For a guy with only five career starts and a shaky track record, Thursday night felt like a turning point. Maybe all Lance needed was a coach who believed in him, a system that fit, and a chance to just play football. If that’s the case, the Chargers might have just found their diamond in the rough.