EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Jim Harbaugh is eager to begin plotting the Los Angeles Chargers offseason strategy with general manager Joe Hortiz.
Those offseason plans, though, will take a slight pause when Harbaugh undergoes two medical procedures.
Harbaugh said during his end-of-season remarks on Wednesday that he will "soon" have an ablation to treat an irregular heart rhythm as well as hip replacement surgery.
Harbaugh experienced an irregular heartbeat during the first half of a 23-16 win at Denver on Oct. 13. During the first quarter, Harbaugh briefly entered the medical tent before heading to the locker room. While in the locker room, Harbaugh had his pulse and an EKG taken and received an IV and magnesium.
Harbaugh returned to the sideline after the EKG showed his heart had returned to normal rhythm.
The 61-year-old Harbaugh said that the week after the Broncos game, he had dealt with atrial flutter for many years, which can cause the heart to beat too quickly. After seeing a cardiologist, he wore a heart monitor for two weeks and took a blood thinner.
It will be the third cardiac ablation for Harbaugh. His first was in 1999, when he was still playing, and then in 2012. An ablation procedure uses small burns or freezes of heart cells. It creates tiny scars in heart tissue, which helps to prevent the heart from producing an irregular rhythm.
Harbaugh walked with a significant limp late in the season, especially going from the sideline to the locker room due to his hip.
Harbaugh, who returned to the NFL after leading Michigan to a College Football Playoff championship last season, guided the Bolts to a six-win improvement.
Copyright The Associated Press 2025
