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Jim Harbaugh was an unlikely topic of conversation on Sunday with the Los Angeles Chargers facing the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
At one point in the game, Harbaugh was spotted heading to the sideline medical tent of the Chargers with members of the team training staff. He eventually even headed back to the locker room and was even listed as “questionable to return” by the team before returning to the sidelines later in the game.
It is very rare to see a head coach leave the sidelines and be listed as questionable, to say the least. After the game, Harbaugh acknowledged it was a minor heart episode that eventually resolved and allowed him to return.
“It’s called atrial flutter. I got into a minor episode with it today,” said Harbaugh. “Doctors checked me out and it got back into normal rhythm, so I came back.”
According to Harbaugh, he could tell on his own that he was experiencing “some irregular beats.”
“I am qualified to talk about this,” Harbaugh joked.
It is not the first time this specific situation has cropped up for Harbaugh, and he has had ablations for the issue in the past. He referenced an instance in 1999 and another during 2012 for a game on Monday Night Football when he was coaching the San Francisco 49ers.
Harbaugh even remembers Colin Kaepernick having a big game and leading the 49ers to a win. With the Chargers also winning on Sunday, he’s undefeated in such circumstances.
“2-0 with arrythmias,” cracked Harbaugh.
Jim Harbaugh said he has atrial flutter, a type of arrhythmia that causes the upper chambers of the heart to beat 250 to 350 times per minute. A flare up today is what caused him to leave the game. pic.twitter.com/YiGDPab4d3
— Kris Rhim (@krisrhim1) October 13, 2024
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
