Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh will have a heart procedure and hip replacement ‘soon’

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.

The task for Harbaugh and Hortiz over the next six months before training camp starts is building the roster.

Despite last Saturday’s 32-12 loss at Houston in an AFC wild-card round playoff game, Harbaugh continued to be unwavering in the praise of his team, which went 11-7.

“I really felt going into that tournament that we were as good as the best teams in the playoffs. That day we were not the better team,” he said. “We did not play complementary football and weren’t our best when our best was needed; that’s my responsibility.”

Justin Herbert struggled in the loss, throwing four picks and completing only 14 of 32 passes for 242 yards and a touchdown. The 40.9 passer rating and 43.2% completion rates were both career lows in 81 starts, including the playoffs.

Harbaugh, though, continued to take responsibility for Herbert’s play.

“We did him a disservice and didn’t put him in a position to be successful,” Harbaugh said.

With Herbert winless in two playoff games, Hortiz cited Peyton Manning and Lamar Jackson as examples of other quarterbacks who have struggled. Manning lost his first three postseason games, and Jackson dropped his first two.

Justin Herbert tosses 4 interceptions in Chargers Wild Card loss vs. Texans | The Facility

“I hear the narratives and all that, but there are a lot of great quarterbacks in this league who may not have had the ideal start to their playoff careers. So, if we’re going to set a narrative on Justin based on two playoff games, that’s just absurd,” Hortiz said.

The Chargers will have more salary cap space going into this offseason, compared to last year. They also have more free agents, though, including nine who were starters or made significant contributions on one-year deals. Among those were running back J.K. Dobbins, cornerback Kristian Fulton and linebacker Denzel Perryman.

Linebacker Khalil Mack will become an unrestricted free agent, while offensive tackle Rashawn Slater will be on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal.

“If you focus on one area, you negate others. From an organizational standpoint, you want to improve everything from competition to how we do things in the building,” Hortiz said.

Harbaugh said he didn’t expect any significant changes to the coaching staff. Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter has been mentioned in some circles as a possible candidate to interview for some of the league’s head coach openings.

Greg Roman’s return would be welcome news for Herbert, who would have the same offensive coordinator for only the second time when he goes into his sixth season.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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