| 2002 San Diego Chargers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Alex Spanos |
| General manager | John Butler |
| Head coach | Marty Schottenheimer |
| Home field | Qualcomm Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 8–8 |
| Division place | 3rd AFC West |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | |
| AP All-Pros | 2[2]
|
The 2002 season was the San Diego Chargers' 33rd in the National Football League (NFL), their 43rd overall and their first under head coach Marty Schottenheimer. Their stadium, Qualcomm Stadium, hosted Super Bowl XXXVII at the end of the season, but the Chargers' failure to secure a playoff berth marked the 18th straight season that the Super Bowl did not include the team in whose region the game was being played. Their division was reduced to four teams at the start of the season, with the Seattle Seahawks moving to the NFC. Despite going into their bye week with a 6–1 record, the Chargers suffered a late-season collapse, winning just two out of their last nine games after their bye week and missing the postseason.
This season would be the last for two longtime defensive stalwarts in Charger uniforms; as future Hall-of-Fame linebacker Junior Seau would leave for the Miami Dolphins; while longtime safety Rodney Harrison would likewise leave for New England. Seau and Harrison would be reunited with the Patriots from 2006 until Harrison's retirement after the 2008 season.