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Los Angeles Chargers

Composite skill θ for every GM in Los Angeles Chargers history, alongside the team's regular-season W-L and playoff result by year.

Years covered
1980–2025
first → last draft
GMs
6
tenures, newest first
Best θ
+0.60
A.J. Smith
Worst θ
-0.34
Steve Ortmayer

θ trajectory by GM

Each line is one GM's support estimate at successive season-end snapshots, color-coded by tenure. Lines carry forward past a GM's tenure: drafted players' careers keep playing out, so the model keeps revising its read of an old GM long after they're gone (a 7th-round flier turning into a Pro Bowler in year 6 still credits the GM who drafted him). Background bands mark each GM's actual tenure span. These paths show evidence accumulating over time; they are not the maturity-adjusted headline ranking and deliberately do not display a public interval.

-1.0-0.5+0.0+0.5+1.0'80'85'90'95'00'05'10'15'20'25θ (SD units)
Joe Hortiz2024–2025θ +0.05
Tom Telesco2013–2023θ +0.21
A.J. Smith2003–2012θ +0.60
John Butler2001–2002θ +0.04
Bobby Beathard1990–2000θ -0.01
Steve Ortmayer1980–1989θ -0.34

General managers (6) · newest first

2024–2025
θ +0.05
AVERAGE
NA
YearW-L-TPlayoffsθ snapshot
202411-6Lost WC+0.18
202511-6Lost WC+0.27
2013–2023
θ +0.21
GOOD
SD→LAC; same GM
YearW-L-TPlayoffsθ snapshot
20139-7Lost Divisional+0.11
20149-7Missed+0.00
20154-12Missed+0.06
20165-11Missed+0.08
20179-7Missed+0.18
201812-4Lost Divisional+0.41
20195-11Missed+0.39
20207-9Missed+0.27
20219-8Missed+0.35
202210-7Lost WC+0.29
20235-12Missed+0.15
2003–2012
θ +0.60 **
ELITE
Spans San Diego era
YearW-L-TPlayoffsθ snapshot
20034-12Missed-0.00
200412-4Lost WC+0.32
20059-7Missed+0.49
200614-2Lost Divisional+0.76
200711-5Lost Conf+0.89
20088-8Lost Divisional+0.82
200913-3Lost Divisional+0.79
20109-7Missed+0.67
20118-8Missed+0.63
20127-9Missed+0.41
2001–2002
θ +0.04
AVERAGE
Came from BUF; died May 2003
YearW-L-TPlayoffsθ snapshot
20015-11Missed-0.04
20028-8Missed+0.03

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