{"id":132640,"date":"2025-08-09T20:53:14","date_gmt":"2025-08-09T20:53:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/132640\/"},"modified":"2025-08-09T20:53:14","modified_gmt":"2025-08-09T20:53:14","slug":"chargers-vs-saints-trey-lance-among-five-players-to-watch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/132640\/","title":{"rendered":"Chargers vs. Saints: Trey Lance among five players to watch"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Injury have hit the Chargers<\/a> hard in training camp.<\/p>\n

From minor setbacks sidelining Mekhi Becton and Ladd McConkey for multiple practices, to the severe, with Najee Harris<\/a>\u2019 return date still a mystery and Rashawn Slater out for the season<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Out of an abundance of caution, coach Jim Harbaugh<\/a> once again said veteran starters won\u2019t play Sunday against the New Orleans Saints at SoFi Stadium.<\/p>\n

For rookies such as KeAndre Lambert-Smith and Nikko Reed, it\u2019s a chance to build on the promise they showed in last week\u2019s preseason debuts.<\/p>\n

It will be the first direct comparison between Taylor Heinicke and Trey Lance, who are in an unexpected backup quarterback battle.<\/p>\n

And Trey Pipkins III will get much-needed reps at right tackle as the offensive line undergoes a reshuffle.<\/p>\n

Battle at backup quarterback \"Chargers <\/p>\n

Chargers quarterback Taylor Heinicke (8) hands off to running back Gus Edwards during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 22.<\/p>\n

(Matt Freed \/ Associated Press)<\/p>\n

After bouncing around three teams in five seasons, Lance showed flashes of why he was once a No. 3 overall pick.<\/p>\n

His strong performance in the Hall of Fame Game \u2014 120 yards and two touchdowns \u2014 earned him the coaching staff\u2019s trust to compete for the backup quarterback spot alongside Heinicke.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a guy that is really diligent with his preparation,\u201d offensive coordinator Greg Roman said. \u201cHe definitely afforded himself well. \u2026 Confidence is only gained in this league on the field, and he should be confident.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last season, Heinicke served as the primary backup behind Justin Herbert, joining the Chargers from the Atlanta Falcons for a seventh-round pick, a concerted move to add depth after last year\u2019s lackluster backup quarterback competition.<\/p>\n

Though Heinicke, who re-signed in the offseason, appears to have a leg up, Lance will have the chance throughout the preseason to prove he can be a capable backup. The Chargers plan to play Heinicke during the first two series Sunday \u2014 his preseason debut \u2014 before Lance takes over for the rest of the game.<\/p>\n

KeAndre Lambert-Smith moving up \"Chargers <\/p>\n

Chargers receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith catches a pass during a preseason game against the Detroit Lions on July 31 in Canton, Ohio.<\/p>\n

(Kirk Irwin \/ Associated Press)<\/p>\n

As training camp unfolds, the Chargers may have unearthed a diamond in the rough with fifth-round pick KeAndre Lambert-Smith, the 21st wide receiver selected in the draft.<\/p>\n

Roman raved about Lambert-Smith\u2019s body type, speed, smooth movements and instinct for tracking the ball. Those traits have quickly led to chemistry with Herbert, resulting in more targets with each practice.<\/p>\n

Despite drawing only two targets in his preseason debut, he made the most of them \u2014 hauling in a 28-yard reception and turning a 15-yard slant into a touchdown.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not just a one-trick pony, down-the-field guy \u2014 he\u2019s really impressed me,\u201d Roman said. \u201cHe\u2019s gotten a lot better with his route running. There\u2019s still a long way to go, but he\u2019s on that trajectory.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trey Pipkins III\u2019s move to right tackle \"Chargers <\/p>\n

Chargers tackle Trey Pipkins III lines up to block against the Las Vegas Raiders on Jan. 5.<\/p>\n

(Abbie Parr \/ Associated Press)<\/p>\n

With Joe Alt sliding into the left tackle spot, Pipkins moves into a starting role on the opposite side after entering camp as a swing tackle, preparing for a scenario no one \u2014 including Pipkins \u2014 had hoped to see.<\/p>\n

Harbaugh expressed confidence in the veteran \u2014 who started the preseason opener at left tackle and will now switch to right tackle \u2014 saying, \u201cHe really is one of our best guys.\u201d<\/p>\n

During his career, Pipkins has logged just over 3,000 snaps and started 41 games at tackle, a move he is comfortable with.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis best position is tackle, and that move was made earlier this offseason,\u201d Harbaugh added. \u201cI have all the confidence in the world in Trey.\u201d<\/p>\n

Caleb Murphy\u2019s drive \"Chargers <\/p>\n

Chargers linebacker Caleb Murphy runs after the ball during a preseason game against the Detroit Lions on Thursday in Canton, Ohio.<\/p>\n

(Kirk Irwin \/ Associated Press)<\/p>\n

From the opening kickoff this preseason, Murphy\u2019s influence has been immediate.<\/p>\n

A special teamer trying to earn defensive snaps, Murphy sprinted downfield on the first play and forced a fumble, setting up the Chargers in scoring position. On defense, he showcased his pass-rushing ability, finishing with three tackles, including one for a loss.<\/p>\n

In his second training camp with the team, the former undrafted free agent is growing comfortable in the defensive scheme, according to defensive coordinator Jesse Minter.<\/p>\n

Minter says the \u201carrow is pointing up\u201d for Murphy in a competitive room that also features fourth-round pick Kyle Kennard and second-year player Tre\u2019Mon Morris-Brash, all vying for the fourth edge rusher spot.<\/p>\n

Nikko Reed\u2019s battle \"Chargers <\/p>\n

Chargers cornerback Nikko Reed returns an interception during a preseason game against the Detroit Lions on July 31 in Canton, Ohio.<\/p>\n

(Kirk Irwin \/ Associated Press)<\/p>\n

With returning cornerbacks Tarheeb Still, Cam Hart and Ja\u2019Sir Taylor \u2014 plus free-agent additions Donte Jackson and Benjamin St-Juste \u2014 the odds are slim for an undrafted rookie to break into the rotation.<\/p>\n

But Nikko Reed, the former Oregon Duck who has gone from virtual unknown to making high-impact coverage plays almost daily, is trying to beat the odds. His execution has translated from practice into a preseason game, with a near 60-yard pick-six last week.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s definitely got a knack for making those types of plays,\u201d Minter said.<\/p>\n

Minter now wants to see if Reed can \u201ctake that next step\u201d and consistently be that player \u2014 \u201cdoing that in practice, doing that in a couple more games.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Injury have hit the Chargers hard in training camp. From minor setbacks sidelining Mekhi Becton and Ladd McConkey…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":132641,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5123],"tags":[1582,276,7151,10282,80401,58551,2961,80403,224,5337,5826,80400,52767,36016,80402,66442,5950,80399,20026,69650],"class_list":{"0":"post-132640","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-los-angeles","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-california","10":"tag-chargers","11":"tag-confidence","12":"tag-fame-game","13":"tag-keandre-lambert-smith","14":"tag-la","15":"tag-left-tackle-spot","16":"tag-los-angeles","17":"tag-losangeles","18":"tag-move","19":"tag-multiple-practice","20":"tag-murphy","21":"tag-preseason","22":"tag-preseason-debut","23":"tag-right-tackle","24":"tag-season","25":"tag-taylor-heinicke","26":"tag-training-camp","27":"tag-trey-lance"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115000797063450161","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132640","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=132640"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132640\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/132641"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=132640"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=132640"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=132640"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}