What Happened to Jim Harbaugh? Here’s What We Know
Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh had a bit of a scare during the Week 6 NFL game against the Denver Broncos when he had to step away from the sideline in the first quarter due to an arrhythmia. Harbaugh, who has dealt with heart issues in the past, explained that he felt an irregular heartbeat, which led to him getting immediate medical attention.
“I started feeling it during warm-ups,” Harbaugh said. “I headed to the medical tent and then to the locker room. The doctors did an EKG, and thankfully, my heart went back to its normal rhythm.” Despite the situation, Harbaugh was able to return to the field just a few minutes later and resume coaching, with his team already leading 3-0 at the time.
The coach revealed that he’s dealt with this condition before, mentioning that he had an ablation procedure back in 1999 and again in 2012, when he was coaching the San Francisco 49ers. “I haven’t had an episode like this in a long time,” Harbaugh said, jokingly adding, “I’m 2-0 with arrhythmias,” referring to the wins he’s had in games where he faced these health issues.
Despite the concern, the team didn’t lose focus and secured a 23-16 victory over the Broncos, improving their record to 3-2 for the season. Quarterback Justin Herbert, who threw for 237 yards and a touchdown, said he didn’t even realize Harbaugh was off the field. “He said he was pumped for the game, but I didn’t know anything was wrong,” Herbert mentioned.
Harbaugh emphasized the importance of trusting your doctors and following their advice. “If you don’t trust your doctors, who are you gonna trust?” he said. The coach also confirmed he plans to follow up with his cardiologist to check his condition and make sure there aren’t any future complications. For now, there’s no indication that Harbaugh will miss the Chargers’ next game, where they’ll face the Cardinals next week. However, the team will keep a close eye on his health leading up to the game.