Chargers: “Kaepernick and Alex Smith all over again” - Dez Bryant sees Chargers’ Trey Lance and Justin Herbert situation echoing 49ers’ 2012 QB controversy

The Los Angeles Chargers are entering minicamp in a favorable position ahead of the 2025 NFL season. Under new head coach Jim Harbaugh, Los Angeles underwent massive changes this offseason, bolstering the roster alongside star quarterback Justin Herbert.

Despite tossing the second-fewest attempts of his career last season, Herbert played the most efficient football from the quarterback position in the league. The Chargers also added former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance as a solid backup option.

In a shocking prediction, former Dallas Cowboys wideout Dez Bryant looked back at Jim Harbaugh's past quarterback groups to give a bold take on X.

"(Colin Kaepernick) and Alex Smith situation all over again," Bryant tweeted on Saturday evening."

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In 2012, second-year quarterback Colin Kaepernick overtook veteran signal-caller Alex Smith as the San Francisco 49ers' starting quarterback, with Jim Harbaugh leading the way as head coach. Bryant anticipates a similar situation taking place in the Chargers' quarterback room this season.

To rebut Bryant's claim, this situation in Los Angeles is significantly different than that of the 49ers' quarterback room in 2012. Justin Herbert is one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, and Lance is new to Harbaugh's system. San Francisco spent a second-round pick on Kaepernick in 2011, with Alex Smith battling through injuries throughout his time with the club.

Justin Herbert showing out at Chargers OTAs with new additions

Los Angeles' star quarterback was slinging the rock throughout the team's OTA workouts. Coming off an underwhelming season from the perspective of their passing offense, Herbert and the Chargers offense are looking to bounce back in 2025.

The front office worked tirelessly to surround the 2020 Offensive Rookie of the Year with improved weapons, adding Omarion Hampton and Tre Harris with their first two picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. They also brought back Mike Williams and bolstered their offensive line unit throughout the offseason.

So far in OTAs, Herbert has been distributing the ball to all his new weapons. He had a strong start to the team's offseason program and had no trouble airing the ball out, showing off his elite arm strength.

About the author

Ethen Hutton is an analyst who works for Sportskeeda, covering College Football, the NFL, the NBA and the WNBA. Ethen graduated high school with academic and athletic honors and is a member of the National High School Honors Society. After a gap year, Ethen jumped into sports writing and has over two years of experience in the field.

Ethen was raised in Ohio and is a Cleveland Cavaliers fan. His favorite all-time player is Pete Maravich as his shooting and ball-handling abilities were way ahead of his time. His favorite player in today’s NBA is Nikola Jokic due to his fascinating skillset as a big man.

Ethen loves the storylines around the NBA and the chaos that the offseason and trade deadlines bring. He enjoys technical deep dives with strong statistical analysis as well as stories where he's able to take a stance as an analyst. He is very prideful in the correctness of his work and will do extensive research to ensure all facts and evidence are 100% accurate.

When not working, Ethen enjoys recording his sports podcast, Wide Right. He is also a very invested fantasy football player.

Know More

LA Chargers Nation! Check out the latest Chargers Schedule and dive into the Los Angeles Chargers Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

Edited by nagpaltusharn25