DENVER — After a brief medical scare during the first quarter of the Los Angeles Chargers’ victory against the Denver Broncos, head coach Jim Harbaugh addressed the media regarding his condition. Harbaugh revealed that he experienced atrial flutter, a type of arrhythmia that causes an unusually fast heart rate, which prompted him to seek medical assistance during the game.
Harbaugh was treated by paramedics in the locker room, where an electrocardiogram scan helped restore his heart to a normal rhythm. He returned to coach for the remainder of the game after being assisted in the first quarter.
This isn’t Harbaugh’s first encounter with heart issues; he recalled a similar experience in 2012 while coaching the San Francisco 49ers during a “Monday Night Football” game against the Chicago Bears, where he noticed an irregular heartbeat but completed the game before seeing a doctor. In the past, he has undergone an ablation, a procedure to eliminate tissue responsible for the irregular heartbeat, having had one in 1999 as well.
In lighter spirits, Harbaugh joked, “2-0 with an arrhythmia,” reflecting on his success despite the medical situation.
During Harbaugh’s absence, defensive coordinator Jesse Minter stepped in as interim head coach, but many players, including quarterback Justin Herbert, were unaware of the coach’s health issue until later inquiries during postgame press conferences. Herbert expressed concern, stating, “He’s tough… I hope he’s OK.”
Harbaugh mentioned feeling discomfort the night prior to the game, but thought little of it until he noticed the irregular heartbeat during warm-ups. He acknowledged that while the timing of his previous ablations made him consider having another, he had not experienced such symptoms since 2012.
His brother, John Harbaugh, head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, paused a postgame press conference to check on Jim after receiving news from Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz that Jim had been cleared by doctors.
The Chargers secured a 23-16 victory over the Broncos, improving their season record to 3-2.