California Has 3 NFL Teams: Rams, Chargers and 49ers
California has three NFL teams: the Rams, Chargers and 49ers. See where they play and why the Raiders and San Diego no longer add to the count.
California has three NFL teams as of November 5, 2026: the Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers and San Francisco 49ers. The Raiders are now the Las Vegas Raiders and do not count as a California-based team. The current franchise names appear in the NFL’s official team directory.
California’s NFL teams and where they play
The state has two Los Angeles teams and one Bay Area team. The Rams and 49ers belong to the NFC West; the Chargers belong to the AFC West, according to the NFL’s divisional listings.
| Team | Home stadium | Stadium city | Division |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Rams | SoFi Stadium | Inglewood, California | NFC West |
| Los Angeles Chargers | SoFi Stadium | Inglewood, California | AFC West |
| San Francisco 49ers | Levi’s Stadium | Santa Clara, California | NFC West |
The city in a team’s name is not necessarily its stadium’s location. Both Los Angeles franchises share SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. The 49ers retain the San Francisco name but have played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara since 2014. Both stadiums are within California.
Why the Raiders and San Diego do not add to the total
The Raiders’ California history can make the count confusing. They played in Oakland, moved to Los Angeles in 1982, then later returned to Oakland. In 2020, they left California for Las Vegas and Allegiant Stadium, as recorded in the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s franchise history. Oakland and Los Angeles are former homes of the same franchise—not additional current teams.
Likewise, the San Diego Chargers and Los Angeles Chargers are one franchise. The Chargers’ 2017 move from San Diego to Los Angeles changed their city, not California’s team count. San Diego does not currently have an NFL team.
The recent changes in the state total came from moves across state lines: the Rams returned from St. Louis in 2016, bringing California’s count to four; the Raiders’ departure in 2020 reduced it to the current three.