The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football franchise based in the Greater Los Angeles Area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The club was founded in 1959 by Barron Hilton and played the 1960 season in Los Angeles as part of the American Football League (AFL).[1] In the next season, the Chargers moved to San Diego.[2] In 2017, the Chargers relocated back to the Los Angeles area.[3]
The franchise has experienced three major periods of success. The first was from 1960 to 1965, when the Chargers were AFL West champions five times and AFL champions once (in 1963).[4] The second was from 1978 to 1982, when the Chargers had five consecutive winning records, four playoff appearances and three division championships.[5] The most recent spell of sustained success ranged from 2004 to 2009, with the franchise reaching the playoffs five times in six years, each time as the AFC West champion.[6] This run included their best regular season record, as they went 14–2 in 2006. Their only Super Bowl appearance was in 1994 (a loss to the San Francisco 49ers)[7]
The Chargers have also experienced three notable periods of decline. For the thirteen seasons between 1965 and 1977 the Chargers never reached the postseason; they failed to post a winning record through their first eight years in the NFL (1970–77) and finished last in their division for four consecutive years from 1972 to 1975.[8] From 1983 to 1991, they never placed higher than third in their division and did not make the playoffs. From 1996 to 2003, the team had no winning seasons, and posted their worst record to date, going 1–15 in 2000.[9]
The Chargers have been division champions fourteen times: five in the AFL West and nine in the AFC West. As of the end of the 2023 season, the Chargers have played 64 seasons, with a cumulative record of 483–489–11 in the regular season and 12–19 in the postseason.[9]
| AFL champions (1960–1969) | Conference champions * | Division champions ^ | Wild card berth # |
| Season | Team | League | Conference | Division | Regular season | Postseason results[10] | Awards | Head coaches[11] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | |||||||||||
| Los Angeles Chargers | |||||||||||
| 1960 | 1960 | AFL | West^ | 1st^ | 10 | 4 | 0 | Lost AFL Championship (at Oilers) 16–24 | Sid Gillman | ||
| San Diego Chargers | |||||||||||
| 1961 | 1961 | AFL | West^ | 1st^ | 12 | 2 | 0 | Lost AFL Championship (Oilers) 3–10 | Earl Faison (ROY)[12] | Sid Gillman | |
| 1962 | 1962 | AFL | West | 3rd | 4 | 10 | 0 | ||||
| 1963 | 1963 | AFL | West^ | 1st^ | 11 | 3 | 0 | Won AFL Championship (Patriots) 51–10 | Tobin Rote (MVP)[13] | ||
| 1964 | 1964 | AFL | West^ | 1st^ | 8 | 5 | 1 | Lost AFL Championship (at Bills) 7–20 | |||
| 1965 | 1965 | AFL | West^ | 1st^ | 9 | 2 | 3 | Lost AFL Championship (Bills) 0–23 | |||
| 1966 | 1966 | AFL | West | 3rd | 7 | 6 | 1 | ||||
| 1967 | 1967 | AFL | West | 3rd | 8 | 5 | 1 | Dickie Post (OROY)[14] | |||
| 1968 | 1968 | AFL | West | 3rd | 9 | 5 | 0 | ||||
| 1969 | 1969 | AFL | West | 3rd | 8 | 6 | 0 | Sid Gillman (4–5) Charlie Waller (4–1) | |||
| 1970 | NFL | AFC | West | 3rd | 5 | 6 | 3 | Charlie Waller | |||
| 1971 | NFL | AFC | West | 3rd | 6 | 8 | 0 | Sid Gillman (4–6) Harland Svare (2–2) | |||
| 1972 | NFL | AFC | West | 4th | 4 | 9 | 1 | Harland Svare | |||
| 1973 | NFL | AFC | West | 4th | 2 | 11 | 1 | Harland Svare (1–6–1) Ron Waller (1–5) | |||
| 1974 | NFL | AFC | West | 4th | 5 | 9 | 0 | Don Woods (OROY)[15] | Tommy Prothro | ||
| 1975 | NFL | AFC | West | 4th | 2 | 12 | 0 | ||||
| 1976 | NFL | AFC | West | 3rd | 6 | 8 | 0 | ||||
| 1977 | NFL | AFC | West | 3rd | 7 | 7 | 0 | ||||
| 1978 | NFL | AFC | West | 3rd | 9 | 7 | 0 | Tommy Prothro (1–3) Don Coryell (8–4) | |||
| 1979 | NFL | AFC | West^ | 1st^ | 12 | 4 | 0 | Lost Divisional Playoffs (Oilers) 14–17 | Don Coryell | ||
| 1980 | NFL | AFC | West^ | 1st^ | 11 | 5 | 0 | Won Divisional Playoffs (Bills) 20–14 Lost AFC Championship (Raiders) 27–34 | |||
| 1981 | NFL | AFC | West^ | 1st^ | 10 | 6 | 0 | Won Divisional Playoffs (at Dolphins) 41–38 (OT) Lost AFC Championship (at Bengals) 7–27 | |||
| 1982 | NFL | AFC | 6th | 6 | 3 | 0 | Won First Round Playoffs (at Steelers) 31–28 Lost Second Round Playoffs (at Dolphins) 13–34 | Dan Fouts (OPOY)[16] | |||
| 1983 | NFL | AFC | West | 5th | 6 | 10 | 0 | ||||
| 1984 | NFL | AFC | West | 5th | 7 | 9 | 0 | ||||
| 1985 | NFL | AFC | West | 3rd | 8 | 8 | 0 | ||||
| 1986 | NFL | AFC | West | 5th | 4 | 12 | 0 | Leslie O'Neal (DROY)[17] | Don Coryell (1–7) Al Saunders (3–5) | ||
| 1987 | NFL | AFC | West | 3rd | 8 | 7 | 0 | Al Saunders | |||
| 1988 | NFL | AFC | West | 4th | 6 | 10 | 0 | ||||
| 1989 | NFL | AFC | West | 5th | 6 | 10 | 0 | Dan Henning | |||
| 1990 | NFL | AFC | West | 4th | 6 | 10 | 0 | ||||
| 1991 | NFL | AFC | West | 5th | 4 | 12 | 0 | ||||
| 1992 | NFL | AFC | West^ | 1st^ | 11 | 5 | 0 | Won Wild Card Playoffs (Chiefs) 17–0 Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Dolphins) 0–31 | Bobby Ross | ||
| 1993 | NFL | AFC | West | 4th | 8 | 8 | 0 | ||||
| 1994 | NFL | AFC* | West^ | 1st^ | 11 | 5 | 0 | Won Divisional Playoffs (Dolphins) 22–21 Won AFC Championship (at Steelers) 17–13 Lost Super Bowl XXIX (vs. 49ers) 26–49 | |||
| 1995 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd | 9 | 7 | 0 | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Colts) 20–35 | |||
| 1996 | NFL | AFC | West | 3rd | 8 | 8 | 0 | ||||
| 1997 | NFL | AFC | West | 5th | 4 | 12 | 0 | Kevin Gilbride | |||
| 1998 | NFL | AFC | West | 5th | 5 | 11 | 0 | Kevin Gilbride (2–4) June Jones (3–7) | |||
| 1999 | NFL | AFC | West | 4th | 8 | 8 | 0 | Mike Riley | |||
| 2000 | NFL | AFC | West | 5th | 1 | 15 | 0 | ||||
| 2001 | NFL | AFC | West | 5th | 5 | 11 | 0 | ||||
| 2002 | NFL | AFC | West | 3rd | 8 | 8 | 0 | Marty Schottenheimer | |||
| 2003 | NFL | AFC | West | 4th | 4 | 12 | 0 | ||||
| 2004 | NFL | AFC | West^ | 1st^ | 12 | 4 | 0 | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Jets) 17–20 (OT) | Marty Schottenheimer (COY)[18] Drew Brees (CBPOY)[19] | ||
| 2005 | NFL | AFC | West | 3rd | 9 | 7 | 0 | Shawne Merriman (DROY) | |||
| 2006 | NFL | AFC | West^ | 1st^ | 14 | 2 | 0 | Lost Divisional Playoffs (Patriots) 21–24 | LaDainian Tomlinson (MVP, OPOY)[20] | ||
| 2007 | 2007 | NFL | AFC | West^ | 1st^ | 11 | 5 | 0 | Won Wild Card Playoffs (Titans) 17–6 Won Divisional Playoffs (at Colts) 28–24 Lost AFC Championship (at Patriots) 12–21 | Norv Turner | |
| 2008 | NFL | AFC | West^ | 1st^ | 8 | 8 | 0 | Won Wild Card Playoffs (Colts) 23–17 (OT) Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Steelers) 24–35 | |||
| 2009 | NFL | AFC | West^ | 1st^ | 13 | 3 | 0 | Lost Divisional Playoffs (Jets) 14–17 | |||
| 2010 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd | 9 | 7 | 0 | ||||
| 2011 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd | 8 | 8 | 0 | ||||
| 2012 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd | 7 | 9 | 0 | ||||
| 2013 | NFL | AFC | West | 3rd | 9 | 7 | 0 | Won Wild Card Playoffs (at Bengals) 27–10 Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Broncos) 17–24 | Philip Rivers (CBPOY) | Mike McCoy | |
| 2014 | NFL | AFC | West | 3rd | 9 | 7 | 0 | ||||
| 2015 | NFL | AFC | West | 4th | 4 | 12 | 0 | ||||
| 2016 | NFL | AFC | West | 4th | 5 | 11 | 0 | Joey Bosa (DROY) | |||
| Los Angeles Chargers | |||||||||||
| 2017 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd | 9 | 7 | 0 | Keenan Allen (CBPOY) | Anthony Lynn | ||
| 2018 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd | 12 | 4 | 0 | Won Wild Card Playoffs (at Ravens) 23–17 Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Patriots) 28–41 | |||
| 2019 | NFL | AFC | West | 4th | 5 | 11 | 0 | ||||
| 2020 | NFL | AFC | West | 3rd | 7 | 9 | 0 | Justin Herbert (OROY) | |||
| 2021 | NFL | AFC | West | 3rd | 9 | 8 | 0 | Brandon Staley | |||
| 2022 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd | 10 | 7 | 0 | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Jaguars) 30–31 | |||
| 2023 | NFL | AFC | West | 4th | 5 | 12 | 0 | Brandon Staley (5–9) Giff Smith (0–3) | |||
| Totals 1 AFL Championship 1 AFC Conference Championship 15 Division titles | 483 | 489 | 11 | (1960–2023, Regular season only) | |||||||
| 12 | 19 | — | (1960–2023, Postseason games only) | ||||||||
| 495 | 508 | 11 | (1960–2023, Total for all games) | ||||||||