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.