KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Chiefs player is in stable condition at a local hospital after experiencing a medical emergency at the team’s training complex Thursday morning.
Team doctors and athletic trainers responded immediately to the player and the emergency, according to a statement from the club. While the team cannot confirm due to privacy regulations, the emergency involved defensive end B.J. Thompson, the club’s fifth-round draft choice in 2023, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Teicher.
Thompson’s agent, Chris Turnage, told NFL Network Thursday night that Thompson remained unconscious at the hospital that “he’s stable and vitals are good. His family asks for your continued prayers.”
Thompson experienced a seizure during a special teams meeting and went into cardiac arrest, according to NFL Network. The Kanas City Fire Department received a medical emergency call from the training complex at 8:37 a.m. No other details have yet been made available.
The club postponed practice Thursday and rescheduled their final OTA workout for Friday. The practice is scheduled to be open to the media. Head coach Andy Reid and several players will hold a regular press conference at approximately 1 p.m. Friday.
Many Chiefs players are also slated to participate in a charity softball game Thursday night hosted by safety Justin Reid and offensive lineman Trey Smith.
This isn’t the first time the Chiefs and the club’s medical staff have faced a medical emergency in recent years. In September 2021, Andy Reid left GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium via an ambulance after feeling ill following the team’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
In August 2015, offensive lineman Tavon Rooks suffered an acute myocardial infarction during a training camp practice in St. Joseph. Rooks credited the swift actions of the Chiefs’ medical teams and the staff at Mosaic Life Care in St. Joseph for saving his life after that incident.
