The 1965 San Diego Chargers season was their sixth as a professional AFL franchise; the team improved on their 8–5–1 record in 1964. Head Coach Sid Gillman led the Chargers to their fifth AFL West title with a 9–2–3 record, before losing the AFL Championship Game to the Buffalo Bills for the second consecutive season. It would prove to be the Chargers' last post-season appearance until 1979.
San Diego took the lead in the AFL Western division early in the season, as they won five of their first seven games and tied the other two. They maintained first place despite two midseason defeats and finished with three wins in a row, clinching their division with a game to spare. During the regular season, they led the league in several key statistical categories, ranking first for rushing and passing yardage on both offense and defense. They entered the AFL Championship game as point favorites on their own home field, but were shut out by the Bills 23–0.
Several individual Chargers had strong seasons, with the offense featuring the top passer, runner and receiver, ranked by yardage. Quarterback John Hadl, in his first season as the full time starter, threw for 2,798 yards, running back Paul Lowe set both team and league records with 1,121 yards while leading the league with 5 yards per carry, and flanker Lance Alworth's 1,602 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns are yet to be surpassed as Charger records. The defense featured strong performances by safety Bud Whitehead, cornerback Speedy Duncan (also the AFL's leading punt returner), and defensive linemen Earl Faison and Ernie Ladd. The latter two players fell out with Gillman, and declared their intention to leave at the end of the season.
Offseason
AFL draft
Regular draft
The 1965 AFL draft took place on November 28, 1964, late in the previous season. The rival National Football League (NFL) conducted its draft on the same day. Where the same player was drafted by both AFL and NFL franchises, the two would compete to sign him. The Chargers were able to sign their 1st-round pick, defensive lineman Steve DeLong, who had also been drafted by the Chicago Bears. DeLong stated that he preferred the city of San Diego, and that the Chargers had made him a better offer. While DeLong was used as a backup during his rookie season, he went on to start in 75 games during seven seasons in San Diego, making one AFL All-Star game. Other successful signings included linebacker Rick Redman, who started 81 games over nine years in San Diego and made one All-Star game, and running back Gene Foster, who scored twice in 1965 and gained over 2,500 yards during a six-year career with the Chargers.
Other Charger draftees opted to sign with NFL clubs, including 2nd-round pick Roy Jefferson, who joined the Pittsburgh Steelers. In total, five of the Chargers' selections chose the NFL, including four of their top eight picks, while five signed with San Diego.
Redshirt draft
As well as their regular collegiate draft, the AFL also held a separate redshirt draft. This covered players whose graduation had been delayed by taking a redshirt year, meaning that they still had a further year of college football eligibility. With their first pick in this draft, the Chargers chose San Diego State Aztecs wide receiver Gary Garrison. They eventually signed him on December 5, 1965, after outbidding the NFL's San Francisco 49ers. Garrison went on to spend eleven seasons with the Chargers, accumulating over 7,500 receiving yards while being nominated to one AFL All-Star game and three Pro Bowls. He was also inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame in 1985.
Unless noted otherwise, these players began their professional careers in 1966.