1976 San Diego Chargers season

The 1976 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's seventh season in the National Football League (NFL), and its 17th overall. The Chargers improved on their 2–12 record from 1975 and finished 6–8, but missed the playoffs for the 11th straight season. The Chargers started off the season by winning their first three games, but they struggled through the rest of the season by losing eight of their last eleven, which included four shutout losses, two of which were to division rival Denver.

Future Hall of Fame coach Bill Walsh spent this season as the Chargers' offensive coordinator, before moving on to Stanford University at the end of the year. Despite the shutouts, he oversaw a general improvement in the offense, as their yards per game improved from second-worst to 11th-best in the NFL. The Chargers began to pass more often, with quarterback Dan Fouts setting new career highs in every major passing category. He was aided by the acquisition of veteran wide receiver Charlie Joiner, who joined the team in a trade for defensive lineman Coy Bacon. Joiner was one of only three players league-wide to have over 1,000 receiving yards in 1976.

With Bacon having departed, the Chargers brought in Leroy Jones to join 2nd-year players Louie Kelcher, Gary "Big Hands" Johnson and Fred Dean on the defensive line. This would become a strong unit in the years ahead, known as the “Bruise Brothers”. In 1976, however, the Chargers defense ranked only 22nd in the league, with their pass defense ranked 27th out of 28 teams.