The 2000 season was the San Diego Chargers' 31st in the National Football League (NFL), their 41st overall and their second under head coach Mike Riley. The Chargers failed to improve on their 8–8 record from 1999, and finished the season 1–15, the worst record of any Chargers team in history. The team lost its first eleven games before their only victory of the season against the Kansas City Chiefs (by one point, which was obtained on a last-second field goal). The 2000 Chargers were also the first team to finish 1–15 and have their only win of the season be at home. Oddly enough, out of the eleven teams in NFL history to finish 1–15, only three others had their only win at home (2007 Miami Dolphins, 2016 Cleveland Browns, and 2020 Jacksonville Jaguars). The Chargers were also the third 1–15 team to win their lone game by a single point; the others, the 1980 New Orleans Saints and 1991 Indianapolis Colts, each defeated the New York Jets on the road. It was also quarterback Ryan Leaf’s final season with the Chargers.
San Diego had a historically inept running attack in 2000; their 1,062 total team rushing yards (66.4 per game) is the lowest total of rushing yards by any team in NFL history in a 16-game season.Pro Football Reference: In a single season, from 1978 to 2011, in the regular season, sorted by ascending Rushing Yards | as of 2017 season For perspective, the strike-shortened 1982 NFL season—which was a nine-game schedule—included thirteen teams who rushed for more yards than San Diego did in 2000, and the 1992 Seattle Seahawks, who scored only 140 points in 16 games, rushed for 1,596 yards.Pro Football Reference; 1992 Seattle Seahawks
Despite this, there were a few bright spots; Darren Bennett and Junior Seau would be selected for the Pro Bowl that year.
After their miserable season, the Chargers earned the first overall pick in the next season's draft. The Chargers would trade that pick to the Falcons and draft LaDainian Tomlinson and also Drew Brees.
The last remaining active member of the 2000 San Diego Chargers was David Binn, who played his final NFL game in the 2011 playoffs, although he played his final regular season game in 2010.
Offseason Additions Subtractions DE Neil Smith (Broncos) RB Natrone Means (Panthers) WR Curtis Conway (Bears) CB Terrance Shaw (Dolphins) CB DeRon Jenkins (Ravens) DT Norman Hand (Saints) G Kevin Gogan (Dolphins) T Ben Coleman (Jaguars) LB Steve Tovar (Panthers)
NFL draft
Undrafted free agents
+ 2000 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegePat BatteauxWide receiverTCUMike BurtonQuarterbackTrinityRobert CooperRunning backCincinnati
Personnel Staff
Roster
Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue 1 at San Francisco 49ers W 23–20 1–0 3Com Park 2 Minnesota Vikings W 31–7 2–0 Qualcomm Stadium 3 at Atlanta Falcons W 28–14 3–0 Georgia Dome 4 Arizona Cardinals W 24–20 4–0 Qualcomm Stadium
Regular season
Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 September 3 at Oakland Raiders L 6–9 0–1 Network Associates Coliseum Recap 2 September 10 New Orleans Saints L 27–28 0–2 Qualcomm Stadium Recap 3 September 17 at Kansas City Chiefs L 10–42 0–3 Arrowhead Stadium Recap 4 September 24 Seattle Seahawks L 12–20 0–4 Qualcomm Stadium Recap 5 October 1 at St. Louis Rams L 31–57 0–5 Trans World Dome Recap 6 October 8 Denver Broncos L 7–21 0–6 Qualcomm Stadium Recap 7 October 15 at Buffalo Bills L 24–27 0–7 Ralph Wilson Stadium Recap 8 Bye 9 October 29 Oakland Raiders L 13–15 0–8 Qualcomm Stadium Recap 10 November 5 at Seattle Seahawks L 15–17 0–9 Husky Stadium Recap 11 November 12 Miami Dolphins L 7–17 0–10 Qualcomm Stadium Recap 12 November 19 at Denver Broncos L 37–38 0–11 Mile High Stadium Recap 13 November 26 Kansas City Chiefs W 17–16 1–11 Qualcomm Stadium Recap 14 December 3 San Francisco 49ers L 17–45 1–12 Qualcomm Stadium Recap 15 December 10 at Baltimore Ravens L 3–24 1–13 PSINet Stadium Recap 16 December 17 at Carolina Panthers L 22–30 1–14 Ericsson Stadium Recap 17 December 24 Pittsburgh Steelers L 21–34 1–15 Qualcomm Stadium Recap
Game summaries
Week 1: at Oakland Raiders
Week 2: vs. New Orleans Saints
Week 3: at Kansas City Chiefs
Week 4: vs. Seattle Seahawks
Week 5: at St.Louis Rams
Week 6: vs. Denver Broncos
Week 7: at Buffalo Bills
Week 9: vs. Oakland Raiders
Week 10: at Seattle Seahawks
Week 11: vs. Miami Dolphins
Week 12: at Denver Broncos
Week 13: vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Week 14: vs. San Francisco 49ers
Week 15: at Baltimore Ravens
Week 16: at Carolina Panthers
Week 17: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Standings
Awards Seau and Bennett were the only Chargers in the AFC Pro Bowl squad, both qualifying as starters; Seau was also named first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press.
References