It is time for Los Angeles Chargers Jim Harbaugh to take care of his health. He will have an eventful start to the offseason.
He announced Wednesday that he will undergo a cardiac ablation and hip replacement surgery.
Harbaugh, 61 years-of-age, briefly experienced a medical scare and left the sideline during the Chargers’ Week 6 victory over the Denver Broncos on October 13. He said in his postgame press conference that he was diagnosed with atrial flutter. This is Harbaugh inaugural year as coach of the Chargers.
ESPN’s Kris Rhim reported Wednesday that Harbaugh previously said he would not walk away from the game because of health issues.
Embed from Getty Images“It would take my heart stopping for me not to be out there on the sideline,” Harbaugh said in October.
The hip surgery will rectify his noticeable limp that is apparent when walking.
As for the cardiac ablation, Rhim explained the atrial flutter is an arrhythmia that leads to the heart beating abnormally high.
Harbaugh was looked at and treated by paramedics in the locker room but returned to coach the rest of the game. He also used a heart monitor for two weeks during the 2024 campaign.
Rhim noted it was his first flare up since the 2012 season when he was coaching the San Francisco 49ers and felt an irregular heartbeat during a game against the Chicago Bears.
This comes four days after Los Angeles saw its season crash and burn with a 32-12 loss to the Houston Texans in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs on Saturday.
Despite the disappointing playoff loss, it was still a successful first season for Harbaugh as the head coach. The Chargers’ 11 wins were their most since the 2018 campaign, and they also made the playoffs for just the second time in the Justin Herbert era.
