The Los Angeles Chargers have a vast history that dates back 65 years across two leagues and two cities.
The Chargers began as one of the franchises in the original American Football League. After one season in L.A., they moved to San Diego. They made the AFL Championship Game five times in six years, winning it all in 1963.
Following the 2016 season, the team left San Diego and went back to Los Angeles. Though the team has fielded some very competitive and exciting squads, it has made the Super Bowl just one time, losing in a lopsided contest against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIX.
That would be the easy choice as the best team in franchise history, but Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports went in another direction. Choosing the best season for every team in the NFL, DeArdo went with the 2007 Chargers. That may be a controversial selection, but here is his assessment:
“With respect to the ’94 Chargers — the only Chargers team to actually make it to the Super Bowl — the ’07 team was more talented and faced stiffer competition.
The ’07 team, led by Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson (1,949 all-purpose yards, 18 touchdowns) and two future Hall of Famers in quarterback Philip Rivers and tight end Antonio Gates, captured the AFC West division title before defeating the Titans in the opening round of the playoffs. In the divisional round, the Chargers upset Peyton Manning and the rest of the defending champion Colts, 28-24.
Despite playing most of the game without Tomlinson, and with Rivers playing through a torn ACL injury, the Chargers gave the then-undefeated Patriots everything they could handle in the AFC title game. In fact, had the Chargers had a healthy Tomlinson in the backfield, it’s very likely that the Chargers, not the Giants, would have been the team that ended the Patriots’ dreams of an undefeated season.”
That’s a pretty bold statement, but for all the reasons DeArdo gave for the ’07 team, the 2006 Chargers may have been even better. That year, LaDainian Tomlinson had arguably the greatest individual season in NFL history. Unfortunately, the team lost in incredibly heartbreaking fashion to the Patriots in the divisional round, a loss that led to the team shockingly firing head coach Marty Schottenheimer despite a 14-2 regular season record.
DeArdo officially chose the 2007 team, but the 2006 team is in the argument as well.
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