The Los Angeles Chargers entered the summer with what looked like a strong quarterback room behind Justin Herbert. Instead, the backup situation has become one of the biggest concerns of the preseason.
That wasn’t supposed to be the story. The Chargers were expected to be in good shape at the position, and Mike McDaniel’s arrival was supposed to make things even better. But after three preseason games, it looks fair to ask whether the team will be searching the league for help once final cuts begin.
The problem is simple: every team the Chargers faced in the preseason seemed to have the edge with its backup quarterback and even its third-stringer.
Trey Lance, who had a strong summer last year, has not carried that momentum into this preseason. He opened Week 1 with an interception, completed 10 passes in Week 2, and then went 0-of-2 in Week 3.
DJ Uiagalelei has been more productive, but the production has come against backups of backups, which makes the evaluation murky. In the preseason finale, he finished 11-of-18 for 141 yards.
He has thrown two touchdowns overall, but the question is whether the Chargers view that as enough to trust him as QB No. 2.
Right now, neither quarterback looks ready to handle second-string reps in regular-season games. And whatever supposed McDaniel magic was expected to help has not changed that.
So what comes next? Jim Harbaugh has dealt with this kind of issue before.
A few years ago, when he wasn’t satisfied with the backup quarterback situation, he made a trade right before Week 1 to bring in another option. That could be on the table again.
The other route is to wait for final cuts over the weekend and then dig through the waiver wire and free agency. That would at least give the Chargers a chance to work with McDaniel and find a quarterback he actually wants behind Herbert, rather than settling for one of the current holdovers.
It is not an ideal place to be this close to the season. But the Chargers know the reality: if Herbert is unavailable, they need someone who can at least handle preseason-level play and run the offense. Right now, that answer still does not seem clear.
In Other News...
Chargers Suddenly Have A Kicking Concern Fans Cant Ignore
A preseason miss usually gets shrugged off, but Cameron Dickers 49-yard attempt did more than leave points on the field for the Chargers. He headed to the medical tent afterward, and for a team that has leaned on his reliability, any hint of a kicking issue lands as more than a footnote.
Dicker later said he is fine, but Jim Harbaughs comment that the kicker is working through something keeps the situation on the radar as the Chargers turn their attention to Arizona. For a club trying to settle in before the regular season, the hope is simple: Dicker is back to normal and ready for the upcoming game against the Cardinals. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Roster Battle Got A Lot More Interesting Against The Rams
The Chargers preseason finale at SoFi Stadium offered a little of everything in a 20-18 loss to the Rams, and it gave the front office and coaching staff a final look at several players fighting for spots. Justin Herbert connected with Quentin Johnston on a 65-yard touchdown, while backup quarterback DJ Uiagalelei chipped in with 141 passing yards and a two-point conversion pass, keeping the offense lively even as the game turned into an evaluation night.
Greg Desrosiers may have done the most to stir the roster conversation, piling up 118 rushing yards and a touchdown to give the ground game a real jolt. In a game that was more about sorting out the bottom of the roster than the final score, performances like that tend to linger in the decision room, especially when there are only so many jobs available and a few players have clearly made things harder on the coaches. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Roster Cuts Could Leave One Big Young Talent Debate
With the Chargers heading toward their final 53-man decisions, the attention quickly shifts to the next layer of roster building, and that is where the real debate begins. Draft analyst Thomas Martinez laid out a projected practice squad that leans on a mix of young players, preseason contributors and a few familiar depth pieces, giving a pretty clear look at how the team might try to preserve upside after the cutdown deadline.
The most interesting part is how many different paths still seem open for quarterbacks, running backs, receivers and defensive role players who flashed in camp or preseason action. Injuries and versatility are part of the calculation, and that makes the back end of the roster feel especially unsettled for now, with some of the biggest calls still hanging on how the Chargers value development versus immediate depth. [Read more 🡒]