Jim Harbaugh's Health Scare: What Does the Chargers Coach Suffer From?

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh has opened up about a health issue that caused him to abruptly leave the sidelines in the middle of a game. 

Harbaugh, 60, entered the Chargers’ medical tent right before kickoff of the team’s Sunday, October 13, showdown with the Denver Broncos. The coach was then seen walking toward the locker room with team personnel as the game got underway.

The Chargers’ X account reported Harbaugh left with an “illness” and was “questionable to return.”

Minutes later, however, Harbaugh made his return to the field and remained there for the rest of the Chargers’ 23-16 victory. 

During the CBS broadcast, sideline reporter AJ Ross said Harbaugh was dealing with “arrhythmia,” which Ross reported Harbaugh had been “dealing with on and off for a while.”

For a full breakdown on what Harbaugh said after the game, what exactly Harbaugh’s condition is and how those closest to Harbaugh reacted to the news, keep reading. 

Why Did Jim Harbaugh Leave the Field Against the Broncos?

After Harbaugh suddenly left the field without warning on Sunday, he explained exactly what happened during his postgame press conference.. 

“Everything ended up turning out to be OK,” Harbaugh told reporters. “I deal with this, I guess, minor [problem], it’s called atrial flutter. I got into an episode today with it. Doctors checked me out, and it got back into sinus rhythm, normal rhythm. So I came back.”

Harbaugh was experiencing “some irregular beats,” so he wanted to get checked out by the Chargers training staff. 

“I know a lot about it, so I just wanted to see what the pulse was,” Harbaugh said of his trip to the medical tent. “I’m not good at taking my own pulse. So they just took the pulse, and it was in the arrhythmia. But I felt like we were good, and then they just said, ‘No, we need to get an EKG.’”

Harbaugh added, “Then [I] came back into the locker room and the paramedics came and did an EKG. They said it was back to sinus rhythm, and I said, ‘I feel good.’ So, [I] got back out there on the field.”

What is Atrial Flutter?

According to the American Heart Association, atrial flutter is a rhythmic disturbance of the heart which occurs when “the chambers beat faster than normal and not always in coordination.”

During atrial flutter, the upper chambers of the heart beat 250 to 350 times per minute, a dramatic increase from the usual rate of 60 to 100 beats per minute. 

While the cause is largely unknown, atrial flutter can lead to stroke, heart failure and additional heart rhythm problems. 

Does Jim Harbaugh Have a History of Heart Problems?

Yes, Harbaugh underwent a cardioversion in 2012 to correct an irregular heartbeat while he was the acting head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. 

“Get it back normal,” Harbaugh told reporters at the time. “It’s amazing they can do a procedure like that.”

Cardioversion involves an electric shock that gets the heart back into a normal rhythm.

In 1999, Harbaugh had a similar procedure to correct his heartbeat while playing for the Chargers. 

During his postgame press conference on Sunday, Harbaugh remembered the most recent incident vividly, which occurred during a 49ers 32-7 victory over the Chicago Bears. 

“I always remember the one in 2012, it was during the Monday night game,” Harbaugh said. “Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers versus the Chicago Bears. Colin had a great night that night. It wasn’t anything during the game. After the game, [I] got checked out and ended up having to have an ablation for that one because it didn’t go back into rhythm.”

Harbaugh had a good sense of humor about both ordeals, joking, “2-and-0 with arrhythmias.”

How Did Jim Harbaugh’s Family and Players React to the Heart Arrhythmia Incident?

Jim’s brother, John Harbaugh, head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, was ushered out of his postgame press conference on Sunday after being made aware of the news. 

During his media availability on Monday, October 14, the Ravens coach, 62, addressed the incident. 

“He’s had that issue in the past, had a couple procedures over the years,” John said. “Even as a player he had it one time. He’s doing good now and he’s going to get some tests done today.”

John joked that “somehow [Jim] convinced” the medical staff to let him back on the field to coach the remainder of the game. 

After Sunday’s game, Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert lauded his coach’s stoicism given the circumstances. 

“He’s tough,” Herbert, 26, told reporters. “He did a really good job of hiding it then because I was unaware of it. They did a good job of keeping calm.”

The Chargers return to action Monday, October 21, against the Arizona Cardinals.