The Kansas City Chiefs halted practice after a member of the team reportedly suffered a medical emergency.
According to the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero via X on Thursday, June 6, “The #Chiefs canceled all team activities today after a backup defensive lineman had a seizure in a special teams meeting and went into cardiac arrest, per sources.”
He continued, “The team’s medical staff worked quickly, an ambulance was called and the player is currently in stable condition.”
ESPN’s Adam Teicher reported it was B.J. Thompson, a fifth-round selection of the Chiefs in 2023, who suffered the seizure.
According to Kansas City’s KHSB, paramedics were dispatched to the team’s practice facility just before 8:40 a.m. local time, with practice due to start at 11:20.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and select players are expected to address the media before practice on Friday, June 7.
Thursday was set to be the Chiefs’ ninth of 10 OTA (organized team activities) practices this year. The voluntary gatherings lead into the Chiefs’ mandatory three-day team minicamp, which starts Tuesday, June 11.
Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce were on hand for OTAs on May 30, one day before the entire squad headed to Washington, D.C. for their visit with President Joe Biden at the White House celebrating their Super Bowl victory.
“It’s good to get these guys back together where, within these rules, you can work against each other offensively and defensively,” Reid, 66, said at the start of OTAs. “It’s obviously a non-contact camp, but at the same time, the guys can still get quite a bit of work done if they handle it the right way, and they’re doing that. They’re hustling like crazy, and there’s a good tempo.”
It’s been an offseason of highs and lows for the Chiefs, which has included wide receiver Rashee Rice facing charges of aggravated assault and collision involving bodily injury, defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs facing animal cruelty charges and kicker Harrison Butker’s highly controversial commencement address at Benedictine College last month.
As for the highs, the team’s White House visit mostly went off without a hitch — other than Kelce, 34, admitting that he was almost tased.
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A Floral Flash Deal! Score This Top at 66% Off Right Now View DealAfter Kelce attempted to hijack the podium during the team’s visit to the White House last year, the star tight end said the Secret Service was ready this time around.
“My fellow Americans, it’s nice to see all you again,” Travis said to the crowd after he was invited to speak. “I won’t lie, President Biden, they told me if I came up here I’d get tased, so I’m going back to my spot.”
The Chiefs are set to open their preseason schedule August 10 against the Jacksonville Jaguars before kicking off the regular season on September 5 against the Baltimore Ravens.
