Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh disclosed that he experienced a heart condition, known as atrial flutter, which caused him to temporarily leave the field during the team’s 23-16 victory over the Denver Broncos in Week 6.
Harbaugh explained, “I got into an episode.” He was assisted off the field by medical personnel during the Chargers’ first offensive series in the opening quarter of the game.
At 60 years old, Harbaugh reported that doctors treated him in the locker room, and his heart’s rhythm returned to normal. He successfully reentered the game with just over seven minutes left in the first quarter.
“They did an electrocardiogram and said it was back to sinus rhythm,” he noted after the game. “I said I feel good, so I got back out there.”
This was not Harbaugh’s first experience with atrial flutter; he mentioned having similar episodes previously, including one during his time as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers in 2012.
During Harbaugh’s absence, defensive coordinator Jesse Minter stepped in as the temporary head coach.
The Chargers’ head coach assured reporters that he felt fine but indicated plans to consult with a cardiologist the following Monday. “Trust the doctors,” he emphasized. “It’s the heart, so you take it seriously, right? Trust the doctors.”