Los Angeles went 9-8 and finished third in the AFC West last season.
Brandon Staley is in Year 2 as an NFL head coach, after spending 2020 as the defensive coordinator of the Rams. Prior to that, he coached the outside linebackers in Denver in 2019, and Chicago in 2017 and 2018.
The two franchises have squared off eight times, and Houston's won three of those games. All three of those victories have come in the last four meetings, with the most recent being the day after last Christmas, when Houston erupted for a 41-29 victory.
Notable Chargers: QB Justin Herbert, DB J.C. Jackson, WR Keenan Allen, RB Austin Ekeler, DE Joey Bosa, S Derwin James, OLB Khalil Mack
Texans Cornerback Desmond King was drafted by the Chargers in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft, and played into the 2020 season with them, before he was dealt to Tennessee. Former Texans Defensive Lineman Christian Covington played for Houston from 2015 through 2018, and also played his college ball at Rice. Wide Receiver/Return man DeAndre Carter, who played for the Texans from 2018 through 2020, is now a Charger.