The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team 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). In the next season, the Chargers moved to San Diego. In 2017, the Chargers relocated back to the Greater Los Angeles area.
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). The second was from 1978 to 1982, when the Chargers had five consecutive winning records, four playoff appearances and three division championships. 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. 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)
The Chargers have also experienced three notable periods of decline. For the 13 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 (1970–1977) and finished last in their division for four consecutive years from 1972 to 1975. 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.
The Chargers have been division champions 14 times: five in the AFL West and nine in the AFC West. As of the end of the 2024 season, the Chargers have played 65 seasons, with a cumulative record of 494–495–11 in the regular season and 12–20 in the postseason.
Seasons
+ AFL champions (1960–1969) Conference champions *Division champions ^Wild card berth #
+ SeasonTeamLeagueConferenceDivisionRegular seasonPostseason resultsAwardsHead coachesFinishLos Angeles Chargers19601960AFLWest^1st^1040Lost AFL Championship (at Oilers) 16–24Sid GillmanSan Diego Chargers19611961AFLWest^1st^1220Lost AFL Championship (Oilers) 3–10Earl Faison (ROY)Sid Gillman19621962AFLWest3rd410019631963AFLWest^1st^1130Won AFL Championship (Patriots) 51–10Tobin Rote (MVP)19641964AFLWest^1st^851Lost AFL Championship (at Bills) 7–2019651965AFLWest^1st^923Lost AFL Championship (Bills) 0–2319661966AFLWest3rd76119671967AFLWest3rd851Dickie Post (OROY)19681968AFLWest3rd95019691969AFLWest3rd860Sid Gillman (4–5) Charlie Waller (4–1)1970NFLAFCWest3rd563Charlie Waller1971NFLAFCWest3rd680Sid Gillman (4–6) Harland Svare (2–2)1972NFLAFCWest4th491Harland Svare1973NFLAFCWest4th2111Harland Svare (1–6–1) Ron Waller (1–5)1974NFLAFCWest4th590Don Woods (OROY)Tommy Prothro1975NFLAFCWest4th21201976NFLAFCWest3rd6801977NFLAFCWest3rd7701978NFLAFCWest3rd970Tommy Prothro (1–3) Don Coryell (8–4)1979NFLAFCWest^1st^1240Lost Divisional playoffs (Oilers) 14–17 (EOY)Don Coryell1980NFLAFCWest^1st^1150Won Divisional playoffs (Bills) 20–14Lost AFC Championship (Raiders) 27–341981NFLAFCWest^1st^1060Won Divisional playoffs (at Dolphins) 41–38 Lost AFC Championship (at Bengals) 7–271982NFLAFC5th630Won First round playoffs (at Steelers) 31–28Lost Second round playoffs (at Dolphins) 13–34Dan Fouts (OPOY)1983NFLAFCWest5th61001984NFLAFCWest5th790 1985NFLAFCWest3rd8801986NFLAFCWest5th4120Leslie O'Neal (DROY)Don Coryell (1–7) Al Saunders (3–5)1987NFLAFCWest3rd870Al Saunders1988NFLAFCWest4th61001989NFLAFCWest5th6100Dan Henning1990NFLAFCWest4th61001991NFLAFCWest5th41201992NFLAFCWest^1st^1150Won Wild Card playoffs (Chiefs) 17–0Lost Divisional playoffs (at Dolphins) 0–31Bobby Ross1993NFLAFCWest4th8801994NFLAFC*West^1st^1150Won Divisional playoffs (Dolphins) 22–21Won AFC Championship (at Steelers) 17–13Lost Super Bowl XXIX (vs. 49ers) 26–491995NFLAFCWest2nd970Lost Wild Card playoffs (Colts) 20–351996NFLAFCWest3rd8801997NFLAFCWest5th4120Kevin Gilbride1998NFLAFCWest5th5110Kevin Gilbride (2–4) June Jones (3–7)1999NFLAFCWest4th880Mike Riley2000NFLAFCWest5th11502001NFLAFCWest5th51102002NFLAFCWest3rd880Marty Schottenheimer2003NFLAFCWest4th41202004NFLAFCWest^1st^1240Lost Wild Card playoffs (Jets) 17–20 Marty Schottenheimer (COY)Drew Brees (CBPOY)2005NFLAFCWest3rd970Shawne Merriman (DROY)2006NFLAFCWest^1st^1420Lost Divisional playoffs (Patriots) 21–24LaDainian Tomlinson (MVP, OPOY)20072007NFLAFCWest^1st^1150Won Wild Card playoffs (Titans) 17–6Won Divisional playoffs (at Colts) 28–24Lost AFC Championship (at Patriots) 12–21Norv Turner2008NFLAFCWest^1st^880Won Wild Card playoffs (Colts) 23–17 Lost Divisional playoffs (at Steelers) 24–352009NFLAFCWest^1st^1330Lost Divisional playoffs (Jets) 14–172010NFLAFCWest2nd9702011NFLAFCWest2nd8802012NFLAFCWest2nd7902013NFLAFCWest3rd970Won Wild Card playoffs (at Bengals) 27–10Lost Divisional playoffs (at Broncos) 17–24Philip Rivers (CBPOY)Mike McCoy2014NFLAFCWest3rd9702015NFLAFCWest4th41202016NFLAFCWest4th5110Joey Bosa (DROY)Los Angeles Chargers2017NFLAFCWest2nd970Keenan Allen (CBPOY)Anthony Lynn2018NFLAFCWest2nd1240Won Wild Card playoffs (at Ravens) 23–17Lost Divisional playoffs (at Patriots) 28–412019NFLAFCWest4th51102020NFLAFCWest3rd790Justin Herbert (OROY)2021NFLAFCWest3rd980Brandon Staley2022NFLAFCWest2nd1070Lost Wild Card playoffs (at Jaguars) 30–312023NFLAFCWest4th5120Brandon Staley (5–9)Giff Smith (0–3)2024NFLAFCWest2nd1160Lost Wild Card playoffs (at Texans) 12–32Jim Harbaugh2025NFLAFCWest2nd1160Lost Wild Card playoffs (at Patriots) 3–16Totals1 AFL Championship1 AFC Conference championship15 division titles505501111960–2025, regular season only1221—1960–2025, postseason games only517522111960–2025, total for all games
Notes
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