Trey Lance has cost $7m per start. Is there any hope of reclaiming a once hyped prospect?

Quarterbacks such as Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield have gone from busts to MVP candidates. The Chargers backup is in the ideal place to make a similar journey

The development path for young NFL quarterbacks is brutal. They get lobbed in at the deep end as franchises try to figure out if their investment was worth it, before being tossed overboard if things go wrong. The league eats its young. The path from potential franchise starter to career backup - or out of the league - has never been shorter.

And that path has been expedited almost by design. In part, that's due to the rookie pay scale, which allows teams to move on from perceived misfires early. It's also down to a shift in evaluations. Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson broke the mold for everyone. They redefined what a starting quarterback could look like, the skills needed, and the speed of development.