SAN DIEGO — Marshall-native Trey Lance will have an opportunity to prove himself in NFL action tonight. The 2018 Marshall graduate will be the starting quarterback for the Los Angeles Chargers in their preseason debut against the Detroit Lions in the annual Hall of Fame Game, Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said on Tuesday.

After becoming a free agent in the offseason, Lance signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the Chargers — with $1.5 million guaranteed, according to Spotrac — to back up starting quarterback Justin Herbert. Herbert is expected to play the first half and play the first drive of the third quarter, Harbaugh said.

This season will be Lance’s fifth in the NFL after spending his first two and a half years with the San Francisco 49ers.

San Francisco traded away the 12th overall pick in the 2021 draft, their first-round picks in 2022 and 2023, and their third-round pick in 2022 in order to acquire Lance, but he made just four starts for the 49ers after an ankle injury sidelined him for the season in week 3 of the 2022 season.

From there, Lance was traded to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2024 draft. Lance spent a year and a half in Dallas, appearing in four games and starting the final game of the 2024 NFL season.

Lance has passed for 1,063 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions over 12 regular-season games in his NFL career to date. In Lance’s last preseason appearance for the Dallas Cowboys, he attempted 49 passes for 413 yards, two total touchdowns and five interceptions in a 26-19 loss to the Chargers.

This time around, Lance will be supported on the field by first-round running back Omarion Hampton and second-round wide receiver Tre Harris.

Tonight’s game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. The game will be broadcast on NBA and streamed on Peacock, with a commentary crew that includes Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, Melissa Stark and Terry McAulay, according to NBC Sports.