Los Angeles Chargers

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The Chargers were founded in Los Angeles in 1959, and began play in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League (AFL). They spent their first season in Los Angeles before moving to San Diego in 1961 to become the San Diego Chargers. The team joined the NFL as a result of the AFL–NFL merger in 1970. In 2017, the Chargers moved back to Los Angeles after 56 seasons in San Diego, a year after the Rams had moved back to the city after spending 21 seasons (1995–2015) in St. Louis. The team previously played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum during their first stint in Los Angeles, Balboa Stadium and San Diego Stadium (also known as Jack Murphy Stadium and Qualcomm Stadium) while in San Diego, and Dignity Health Sports Park (formerly named StubHub Center) from 2017 to 2019, while SoFi Stadium was under construction.

In Their Own Story

The narrative arc of 2025 swung from historic highs to crushing lows. After starting 3–0 by defeating all three division rivals—a feat accomplished only by two other teams since 2002—the Chargers suffered a shocking upset in Week 4 against the New York Giants, their first loss there since 1986. The team's resilience shone in Week 15 at Kansas City; with Patrick Mahomes suffering a torn ACL late in the game, backup Gardner Minshew threw an interception to Derwin James, sealing a victory that eliminated the Chiefs from playoff contention for the first time since 2014. However, momentum stalled again when rookie offensive tackle Joe Alt suffered a season-ending ankle injury just before Week 9. The season concluded with heartbreak in Week 17 against Houston, where an illegal contact penalty by Tarheeb Still negated a potential turning point, allowing the Texans to retain possession and win, ending the Chargers' chance at their first AFC West title since 2009.

Reader's Guide

The Chargers won the AFL championship in 1963, and reached the AFL playoffs five times and the AFL Championship game four times before joining the NFL. Since then, the Chargers have made 15 trips to the playoffs and made four appearances in the AFC Championship game. In 1994, the Chargers won their first and only AFC championship, and faced the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIX, losing 49–26. The Chargers have the worst playoff winning percentage with a .364 winning percentage in the postseason. The Chargers have nine players and two coaches enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: wide receiver Lance Alworth (1962–1970), defensive end Fred Dean (1975–1981), quarterback Dan Fouts (1973–1987), head coach and general manager Sid Gillman (1960–1969, 1971), wide receiver Charlie Joiner (1976–1986), offensive tackle Ron Mix (1960–1969), tight end Kellen Winslow (1979–1987), middle linebacker Junior Seau (1990–2002), running back LaDainian Tomlinson (2001–2009), head coach Don Coryell (1978–1986), and tight end Antonio Gates (2003–2018).

Did You Know?

• According to an article in Forbes, the Los Angeles Chargers were worth 5.1 billion dollars in August 2024, putting them at number 20 on the list of the most valuable NFL teams.
• The Chargers' original owner was hotel heir Barron Hilton, son of Hilton Hotels founder Conrad Hilton.
• The Chargers won the AFL title against the Boston Patriots in 1963.