New Chargers QB was watching Michigan sign-stealing documentary as he was traded

The Los Angeles Chargers acquired Taylor Heinicke from the Atlanta Falcons late last week, shoring up the QB depth chart behind Justin Herbert. It was a move viewed favorably by most, as Heinicke profiles better than your average backup signal-caller. He struggled in a handful of starts last season, but the Falcons' mismatched offense was hardly the optimal setting.

With the Chargers, Heinicke steps into a far different situation. On the surface, Los Angeles doesn't have nearly as much playmaking talent as Atlanta, but one might be inclined to trust Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman over Arthur Smith. Moreover, Los Angeles should maintain a healthy run game, in turn relieving pressure from its QBs.

It will be fascinating to see how well the Michigan offense translates to the NFL. We obviously know Harbaugh can coach at this level — he brought San Francisco to the Super Bowl once upon a time — but there is always a level of uncertainty when jumping from amateur ranks to the pros. The Chargers are blessed with elite QB play from Herbert, but the rest of the roster is brimming with unanswered questions.

Heinicke, ideally, won't see the field much this season. He will only step in if Herbert is forced to miss time, which we never want to see. That said, it's still another opportunity for the 31-year-old to prove his mettle and earn a roster spot next season — whether it's in Los Angeles or somewhere else.

The story behind Heinicke's arrival in LA is absolute gold. Whether Jim Harbaugh agrees with that assessment, however, is unclear.

Taylor Heinicke was watching Michigan sign-stealing doc when Chargers trade went through

Credit to Heinicke for the honesty, though it does create some hilarious tension with his new coaching staff. I'd wager that Harbaugh wants to forget all about that sign-stealing scandal as soon as possible, and that documentary does not shine the kindest of lights on the Chargers' head coach.

Nobody really cares in the long run — Harbaugh has been trending toward an NFL return for years — but this is a fascinating tarnish on the reigning NCAA champ's legacy. Whenever we talk about Harbaugh's incredible accomplishments on the sideline, we will also need to mention sign-stealing. There are obvious parallels in the sports world, be it the Houston Astros' maligned World Series run in 2017 or 'Deflategate' with Tom Brady, just to name a couple.

Heinicke doesn't appear overly concerned about the situation. He just thought the timing was funny. There's no better way to do homework on your new head coach than by watching as much film and interview content as possible. The new Netflix doc is practically a cheat code.

This Chargers season will be especially fascinating to track. There are so many unknown variables with that team, starting at the top with Harbaugh. Heinicke is a much, much smaller variable, but if the Chargers run into injury woes, his importance could skyrocket in a hurry.