3 most underappreciated players in Chargers history

There is a lot of baggage that comes with being an LA Chargers fan. The Chargers are one of the unluckiest franchises in all of American sports and fans have been conditioned to accept heartbreaks as reality.

Because of that, it is easier for the fanbase to look at the glass as half-empty as soon as there is an ounce of something going wrong for the Bolts. As a result, there are certain players in franchise history that should have gotten more appreciation but didn't because of the cynical nature of being a sports fan.

Are these the greatest Chargers of all time? No. But should fans have appreciated these Chargers more when they were with the team? Probably.

Most underappreciated Chargers: Nate Kaeding

Nate Kaeding is most remembered for his missed field goals in the playoffs. He missed a chip shot against the New York Jets in 2004 and missed a game-tying field goal at the end of regulation in 2006 against the New England Patriots.

The latter is more painful as that came after the best regular season in franchise history in a game that the Chargers should have iced away if Marlon McCree didn't fumble his interception of Tom Brady. If the Chargers win that game, they probably beat the Indianapolis Colts and go to the Super Bowl.

While Kaeding's playoff misses are undoubtedly a sore spot on his resume, it does not change the fact that he was a reliable kicker for the Bolts for many years. Kaeding spent nine years with the Chargers, was a Pro Bowler twice and even was named an All-Pro once. His career 87% field goal percentage with the Bolts is the highest in franchise history with at least 50 field goals attempted.

Just think about all of the kicking woes that have followed the Chargers since Kaeding left the team. It really puts into hindsight how good Kaeding actually was.