Jim Harbaugh followed his instincts when something felt off during pregame warmups.
The Los Angeles Chargers head coach stepped into the medical tent and later headed to the locker room in the first quarter on Sunday to get checked for an irregular heartbeat. An EKG showed his heart had returned to a normal rhythm, and he rejoined the team with the Chargers leading 3-0.
Essential Survival Gear You Need Before the Next Hurricane Hits
Despite his brief absence, the Chargers remained steady, securing a 23-16 victory over the Denver Broncos. Quarterback Justin Herbert didn’t even realize his coach had been off the sideline, though Jim’s brother, Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh, cut his postgame news conference short after his team’s win over Washington to check on him.
“Everything ended up being fine,” Jim Harbaugh said after receiving IV fluids. “The doctors got me back to normal, so I came back out. When it’s your heart, you take it seriously.”
Harbaugh shared that he’s been dealing with atrial flutter, a condition that can cause rapid heartbeats. He underwent an ablation procedure in 1999 to address the issue and had another in 2012 while coaching the San Francisco 49ers, a memory he vividly recalls since it followed a Monday night game where Colin Kaepernick led the 49ers to a dominant 32-7 victory over the Chicago Bears.
Harbaugh hadn’t experienced any major episodes since then, until this past weekend.
“I started feeling it the night before but wasn’t quite sure,” he explained. “Just like in 2012, I noticed it again during the pregame warmups.”
Adding a bit of humor, Harbaugh quipped, “I’m 2-0 in arrhythmias.”
Herbert was surprised to hear that his coach had briefly left the sideline. He did recall Harbaugh mentioning his health the night before the game.
“He said he was pumped for the game and that his blood was flowing,” Herbert said, after completing 21 of 34 passes for 237 yards and a touchdown. “I thought everything was fine. He’s a tough guy, but I’m glad he got it checked out.”
While in the locker room, Harbaugh said the medical staff took his pulse and ran an EKG.
“You trust the doctors. If you’re not going to trust your doctors, who are you gonna trust?” Harbaugh said. “Once the EKG showed my heart was back in normal rhythm, I felt good and returned to the field.”
Harbaugh plans to follow up with his cardiologist on Monday.
During his brief absence, the Chargers attributed it to an illness, and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter stepped in until Harbaugh returned midway through the first quarter. By then, the Chargers had a 3-0 lead and were driving toward another score. They later extended the lead to 23-0 before the Broncos made a late push.
“It was a fantastic win for the team,” Harbaugh said. “I’m really proud of how they played—offense, defense, and special teams—four solid quarters of football. I felt great about that.”
