The ** San Diego Chargers season** was the franchise's fourth season in the National Football League (NFL), and its 14th overall. The team was coming off a season that ended with a 4–9–1 record. Although he was offered a five-year contract toward the end of the previous season, 1973 would prove to be Harland Svare's final season as the team's head coach. The team obtained quarterback Johnny Unitas in a trade with the Baltimore Colts, but Unitas was a shell of his former greatness. In the middle of the season he was replaced at quarterback by a rookie Dan Fouts, the team's third-round pick in that year's draft.

Offseason

NFL draft

Roster

Regular season

Schedule

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at Washington Redskins

Week 2: vs. Buffalo Bills

Week 3: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Week 4: at Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 5: vs. Oakland Raiders

Week 6: vs. Atlanta Falcons

Week 7: at Cleveland Browns

Week 8: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Week 9: at Denver Broncos

Week 10: vs. New Orleans Saints

Week 11: at Oakland Raiders

Week 12: at New England Patriots

Week 13: vs. Denver Broncos

Week 14: at Kansas City Chiefs

Standings