The Kansas City Chiefs canceled team activities Thursday after defensive lineman BJ Thompson “had a seizure in a special teams meeting and went into cardiac arrest,” according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Thompson, a fifth-round pick out of Stephen F. Austin State University in 2023, is now in stable condition, per the report.
The 25-year-old Thompson, who played sparingly in his rookie season for the eventual champs, had two tackles in a Week 18 win over the Chargers.
Kansas City Chiefs defensive end BJ Thompson (53) stands on the sideline before a January 2024 game. APThe Chiefs’ medical personnel acted swiftly amid Thompson’s medical emergency.
Head coach Andy Reid was slated to speak to the media Thursday, along with select players, but will do so Friday, according to NFL.com.
Thompson, who became a Super Bowl champion in February following the Chiefs’ overtime victory against the 49ers, visited the White House with the team last week.
BJ Thompson of the Chiefs in action against the Chargers on
Jan. 7, 2024. Getty Images
Thompson, here during an August 2023 preseason game, was taken by the Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Getty Images“Posted at the White House got me feeling like the president,” Thompson captioned an Instagram post of his time in Washington, D.C.
Upon being drafted by the Chiefs with the No. 166 overall pick in April 2023, Thompson exclaimed on social media: “Turning Dreams To Reality.”
The Chiefs open mandatory minicamp next Tuesday before training camp begins later this summer.
Kansas City will open the regular season at home on Sept. 5 against the Baltimore Ravens in an AFC Championship rematch.
The Chiefs are chasing their third straight Super Bowl title.
