Lance faces a fierce Broncos defense, a massive opportunity to rewrite his career trajectory and prove his immense potential.
I have not always been the biggest fan of Trey Lance. Earlier this season, I questioned why the team was paying so much for a QB they didn't trust to play and loudly stated that there's no definitive proof that Trey Lance has ever been a good QB.
I'm not going to tell you that I would be excited to watch Trey Lance start in a regular season game of any actual meaning, but I am pretty excited for him to get this opportunity to play against a hungry Denver Broncos defense in Week 18. I mean, I'm terrified that he might end up injured, but the upside is so massive that's it's impossible to not be tantalized while rooting for the kid. It's, potentially, a great story.
After having one of the strangest college careers ever, including an entire season taken off due to COVID, Lance was taken #3 overall based solely on potential. He was, and remains, one of the most controversial picks in the history of the NFL Draft. He's also on his third team, playing his fifth season, and has never started more than two games in an NFL season.
I don't know a lot about who Trey Lance is. I don't know if he's a natural leader or not. But if he were ever going to fulfill his promise and turn a "career backup" trajectory into one where he becomes a starting NFL QB for many years, it would start with an unexpected performance on Sunday in Denver.
Now, to be fair, Trey Lance had a similar opportunity a year ago. He started for the Dallas Cowboys in a meaningless game against the Washington Commanders and was fine. 20/34 for 244 yards, no TDs or picks. It didn't light the world on fire.
But, I would argue, this game actually does mean something to the Denver Broncos. They're still trying to hold off the New England Patriots and head into the NFL Playoffs as the #1 seed in the AFC. They've also been one of the best, if not the actual best, defense in the league this season.
I'm excited because I think they Greg Roman was at his best putting together gameplans around Lamar Jackson's running and I hope he dusts off some of those old plays for Trey Lance this week to see if the kid can't work himself a miracle and turn his entire career around.
Here's to hoping that, by the end of Sunday, the story of the week is which QB-needy team is going to target Trey Lance in free agency after such a great performance against the Broncos defense.