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NFL/Teams/San Diego Chargers
FRANCHISE

NFL franchise story

San Diego Chargers

The Chargers have repeatedly pushed offensive football forward—from the AFL's wide-open attack through Air Coryell and the Rivers–Tomlinson–Gates core—while living with some of the sport's narrowest misses.

Every era · The defining players · Five essential games

The franchise timeline

Every era of the Los Angeles Chargers.

Move through the franchise chronologically. The jerseys identify each chapter’s central cast, and every card opens the complete story of that era.

Historical reference: Los Angeles Chargers official NFL team page ↗
The beginning↓
01▼

Franchise era

1960—1969

01
LACALWORTH—Lance Alworth
LACHADL—John Hadl
LACLOWE—Paul Lowe

Sid Gillman stretches the field

The AFL's early innovators

Gillman's vertical passing principles and Alworth's speed produced five division titles and the franchise's only league championship in 1963.

Read the era story →

Chapter 01

1960—1969

02▼

Franchise era

1970—1977

02
LACFOUTS—Dan Fouts
LACGARRISON—Gary Garrison
LACWILKERSON—Doug Wilkerson

Fouts arrives before the system does

Searching after Gillman

San Diego struggled through transition but drafted the quarterback who would become the center of its next revolution.

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Chapter 02

1970—1977

03▼

Franchise era

1978—1985

03
LACFOUTS—Dan Fouts
LACWINSLOW80Kellen Winslow
LACJOINER—Charlie Joiner

The passing game points toward the future

Air Coryell

Coryell's spacing, motion and downfield aggression led the league in passing year after year and produced the Epic in Miami, though never a Super Bowl trip.

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Chapter 03

1978—1985

04▼

Franchise era

1986—2000

04
LACSEAU55Junior Seau
LACHUMPHRIES12Stan Humphries
LACMEANS20Natrone Means

Defense carries an unlikely champion of the AFC

Seau and the first Super Bowl

Seau became the emotional center of the franchise and the 1994 Chargers won three straight playoff games to reach Super Bowl XXIX.

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Chapter 04

1986—2000

05▼

Franchise era

2001—2009

05
LACTOMLINSON21LaDainian Tomlinson
LACRIVERS17Philip Rivers
LACGATES85Antonio Gates

An extraordinary core dominates the regular season

Tomlinson, Gates and Rivers

Tomlinson's MVP records and a loaded roster produced five division titles, but injuries and close losses repeatedly blocked a Super Bowl.

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Chapter 05

2001—2009

06▼

Franchise era

2010—2016

06
LACRIVERS17Philip Rivers
LACWEDDLE32Eric Weddle
LACALLEN13Keenan Allen

Rivers keeps a changing roster competitive

The final San Diego seasons

Rivers remained prolific as the roster turned over and the franchise prepared to leave the city that had housed it for 56 years.

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Chapter 06

2010—2016

07

Franchise era

2017—present

07
LACHERBERT10Justin Herbert
LACALLEN13Keenan Allen
LACJAMES3Derwin James

Herbert's arm begins another reset

Back in Los Angeles

The Chargers returned to Los Angeles and found Herbert, whose immediate production renewed the promise and pressure surrounding the franchise.

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Chapter 07

2017—present

◆Present day

The essential watchlist

Five San Diego Chargers games to start with.

Curated from the franchise’s defining eras, championship stakes and the games that still carry its story.

#01 · Conference Championship

Conference Championship
1981
LOS ANGELESCHARGERS
MIAMIDOLPHINS
JAN 2, 1982

Chargers vs Dolphins

Jan 2, 1982

#02 · Conference Championship

Conference Championship
1963
NEW ENGLANDPATRIOTS
SAN DIEGOCHARGERS
1964-01-05

New England Patriots vs San Diego Chargers

1964-01-05

#03 · Divisional Round

Divisional Round
1981
SAN DIEGOCHARGERS
MIAMIDOLPHINS
1982-01-02

San Diego Chargers vs Miami Dolphins

1982-01-02

#04 · Conference Championship

Conference Championship
1994
SAN DIEGOCHARGERS
PITTSBURGHSTEELERS
1995-01-15

San Diego Chargers vs Pittsburgh Steelers

1995-01-15

#05 · Divisional Round

Divisional Round
2007
SAN DIEGOCHARGERS
INDIANAPOLISCOLTS
2008-01-13

San Diego Chargers vs Indianapolis Colts

2008-01-13

Season history

Every season

67 seasons · newest first

Game archive

Latest games

1,067 total · loaded 10 at a time