The 1962 San Diego Chargers season was the club's third in the American Football League. San Diego had won the AFL West with a 12–2 record in 1961, but slipped to 4–10, losing eight of their final nine games after a 3–2 start. It was their worst record to date; this would be the only time the Chargers would endure a losing season during their 10 years in the AFL.
Injuries on offense contributed to the slump. Promising rookie flanker Lance Alworth missed the final ten games of the season with a knee injury, Paul Lowe broke an arm and missed the entire year, and quarterback Jack Kemp was knocked out of action after only two games with a broken finger. Kemp was surprisingly placed on waivers after his injury. He was claimed by the Buffalo Bills for $100, leaving the Chargers with only rookie quarterbacks to call on for the rest of the year.
Offseason
AFL draft
The 1962 AFL Draft took place on December 2, 1961, late in the previous season. There were 34 rounds – previous trades had given the Chargers five extra picks, for 39 in total.
Future Hall of Fame receiver Lance Alworth came to the Chargers via this draft, though he was originally selected by the Oakland Raiders in the 2nd round. Raiders General Manager Wesley Fry revealed that prior to the draft, the Chargers had agreed to trade four players for Oakland's 2nd round pick, on the understanding that Alworth would be the player selected. Three of the players the Raiders received were Bo Roberson, Hunter Enis and Gene Selawski – the fourth was not announced. San Diego still had to outbid the San Francisco 49ers for Alworth's signature, the NFL club having selected him in the 1st round of their draft. On January 1, 1962, Alworth chose San Diego. San Francisco president Vic Morabito stated that Alworth had requested a "no cut, no-trade" contract, which was against club policy.
Alworth was a college running back who was enthused by the opportunity to catch the ball at the pro level, which fit in with San Diego's plan to use him as a receiver; he has credited Chargers receiver coach Al Davis with recruiting him. Head coach Sid Gillman inserted the rookie into the Charger line-up in week 1 – though Alworth was knocked out by injury early on in 1962, he would remain with San Diego through the 1970 season, accumulating over 9,000 yards receiving.
Two other draftees had even longer careers in San Diego. 3rd-round pick John Hadl was a versatile player who had earned All-American honors both as a halfback in 1960 and as a quarterback in 1961. It was the latter role that Chargers chief scout Don Klosterman envisioned him playing – Hadl, who preferred the quarterback position, has cited this as a reason for choosing the Chargers over the NFL's Detroit Lions, as well as the opportunity to start sooner and the city of San Diego itself. Immediately after leading the Kansas Jayhawks to victory in the Bluebonnet Bowl, Hadl met Klosterman at the 20-yard line to sign a four-year contract with the Chargers, saying, "it's a young club and I feel I'll have more opportunity." An injury to starting quarterback Jack Kemp saw Hadl start ten games during his rookie year – he lost nine of them, but would greatly improve during an 11-year stint in San Diego. Sam Gruneisen, a 25th-round pick, was also a Charger for 11 years, playing both guard and center.
Other successfully-signed draftees included linebackers Bob Mitinger (five seasons as a Charger), Frank Buncom (six seasons as a Charger, three All-Star games), and halfback/tight end Jacque MacKinnon (nine season as a Charger, two All-star games).
Including Alworth, the Chargers signed twelve of their 1962 draft class, while twelve signed for NFL clubs.
Departures and arrivals
A significant exit occurred early in the regular season, with Jack Kemp's move to Buffalo. Kemp suffered a broken finger in his throwing hand during a week 2 game against the Titans, though he played through the injury and finished the game. On September 25, nine days after his injury, Kemp was placed on waivers by Sid Gillman and claimed by the Bills for $100. Gillman's action has been described as either a deliberate decision, a calculated risk that backfired, or a simple misunderstanding of the rules. At the time, Gillman stated that he thought Kemp wouldn't be claimed due to his injury, but he was later quoted as saying that the Chargers "could not win consistently" with Kemp. Several Chargers expressed shock at the move; Kemp himself said that his feelings had been hurt, and he unsure whether he would report to Buffalo, or retire instead.