Buccaners vs. Seahawks

Buccaneers vs. Chargers: All-Time Matchup History

Head-to-Head Snapshot

• All-Time Record: Chargers lead series 8–5 (.385)
• First Meeting: 1976
• Most Recent Meeting: 2024 season
• Postseason Meetings: None

Last Five Matchups

• 2024: Buccaneers 40, Chargers 17 (away)
• 2020: Buccaneers 38, Chargers 31 (home)
• 2016: Buccaneers 28, Chargers 21 (away)
• 2012: Buccaneers 34, Chargers 24 (home)
• 2008: Chargers 41, Buccaneers 24 (home)

Series Overview

The Chargers were the Buccaneers' opponent in the very first regular-season home game in Tampa Bay history, in Week Two of the 1976 season. Then based in San Diego, the Chargers shut out the fledgling Buccaneers and proceeded to win the next five meetings in the series, too, stretching through the 1993 season. Tampa Bay's first win in the series was in 1996 but they have prevailed in five of the last seven meetings.

Notable Matchups

• 2020 Regular Season: In what was Justin Herbert's third career start for the Chargers and Tom Brady's fifth game for the Buccaneers, the Bucs rallied from 17 down to take a 38-31 shootout behind five Brady touchdown passes.
• 1996 Regular Season: In the game that was considered the turning point for the franchisebefore it entered its first Super Bowl era, the Bucs overcome an early two-touchdown deficit in San Diego and win 25-17 on the strength of interceptions by John Lynch, Donnie Abraham and Charles Dimry.
• 1981 Regular Season: Doug Williams and Dan Fouts dueled it out at Tampa Stadium, with the Chargers winning, 24-23, on a last-minute field goal, forcing the Bucs into a winner-take-all game in Detroit in Week 16 for the NFC Central crown.

Series Trends

• The Buccaneers' current run of four straight wins over the Chargers is their longest active streak against any opponent
• Tampa Bay has just a 2-5 record at home against the Chargers but have played them even in six games held in California
• The winning team in the 13 Bucs-Chargers games has averaged exactly 31 points per contest
• The Bucs are 2-0 against the Chargers since the franchise moved to Los Angeles in 2017

2025-26 Los Angeles Chargers Season Snapshot

• 2025 Record: 11–6
• Division Finish: 2nd in AFC West
• Playoffs: Lost to Patriots in Wild Card Round
• 2026 Head Coach: Jim Harbaugh (third year)

2026 Key Additions

OLB Akheem Mesidor, C Tyler Biadasz, G Jake Slaughter, TE Charlie Kolar, G Cole Strange, WR Brenen Thompson, RB Keaton Mitchell, FB Alec Ingold, DL Dalvin Tomlinson, OLB Akheem Mesidor

2026 Key Departures

C Bradley Bozeman, G Mekhi Becton, TE Will Dissly, OLB Odafe Oweh, G Zion Johnson, CB Benjamin St-Juste, DL Da'shawn Hand, DL Otito Ogbannia, G Jamaree Salyer, TE Tyler Conklin

Notable Players

QB Justin Herbert, RB Omarion Hampton, T Rashawn Slater, T Joe Alt, WR Ladd McConkey, DL Teair Tart, LB Denzel Perryman, OLB Khalil Mac, S Derwin James

Full Matchup History

Historical Note

The Buccaneers did not secure a win over the Chargers on the West Coast for the first two decades of the franchise's existence but has since won three of the four games in the series played in either San Diego or Los Angeles.

FAQs

• When did the Buccaneers first get a win against the Chargers? Tampa Bay's first win in the series was in 1996, in San Diego, after the Chargers had taken the first six meetings.
• When was the last time the Chargers defeated the Buccaneers? The Bucs' last loss to the Chargers was in 2008, one of four straight losses to close the season that knocked Tampa Bay out of a playoff spot.
• Who threw more touchdown passes in their first game against the Chargers as a Buccaneer, Tom Brady or Baker Mayfield? Tom Brady threw five touchdown passes in a 38-31 win over the Chargers in 2020, one more than Mayfield did in a 40-17 thrashing in 2024.