The Los Angeles Chargers are an American professional football team that competes in the NFL as a member club of the AFC West division established in 1959. The Chargers joined the NFL as a result of the 1970 merger, but their return was announced for the 2017 season. They won the AFL title in 1963 and reached the AFL playoff five times, and they also won the AFL championship four times before joining the NFL as part of the AFL-NFL merger. The Chargers have made 13 trips to the payoff and four appearances in the AFC championship.