Kansas City Chiefs postpone practice as defensive end BJ Thompson suffers cardiac arrest during meeting
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI: The Kansas City Chiefs postponed their practice on Thursday, June 6, after defensive lineman Brandon Thompson Jr, also known as BJ Thompson, fell ill.
According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the 25-year-old Thompson suffered a seizure and went into cardiac arrest during a meeting at the Chiefs facility in Kansas City on Thursday morning.
Thompson is now in stable condition after being transported to the hospital, as reported by People.
BJ Thompson began seizing during special teams meeting
(@brandonlamar/Instagram)
As per Pelissero's reports, the Chiefs' medical staff "immediately" responded to the emergency when Thompson began seizing during a "special teams meeting" on Thursday.
The media availability originally scheduled for Thursday, featuring head coach Andy Reid and select players, has been postponed to Friday, June 7, as per reports from NFL.com
The Chiefs are currently in their OTA offseason practices, which include drills but no contact plays, and will begin their mandatory minicamp from June 11 to June 13, as reported by CBS.
Thompson was selected in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft and has played in one game for the NFL's back-to-back champions.
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Internet prays for BJ Thompson's recovery
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The medical emergency involving BJ Thompson quickly gained traction across social media platforms, with many users flocking to the comment section to share their thoughts on Facebook.
One user added, "All these athletes need an echocardiogram and to see cardiology at least once a year! Prayers being sentđź’–." A second concerned user wrote, "Oh no! Many prayers for full recovery."
A third user added, "All these athletes need to go have a complete physical get their heart checked everything their brain everything not just some quickie I'm feel good blood pressure and that's it."
A fourth user said, "Here's to a full recovery for BJ. We know all to well what a long road it is. ❤" A last user claimed, "Whats with all these young fit men having cardiac arrests lately???"
The Kansas City Chiefs' dramatic off-season
The Chiefs have experienced a tumultuous off-season since their 2024 Super Bowl win in February.
Defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs is facing accusations of second-degree animal cruelty after a warrant alleged he abandoned two malnourished dogs at a rental home in Alabama.
In April, wide receiver Rashee Rice turned himself into Texas police following an arrest warrant issued in connection to a multi-car collision in Dallas.
Recently, kicker Harrison Butker faced backlash for a controversial commencement speech at Benedictine College, a Catholic school.
During the May 11 ceremony, Butker, 28, criticized various "diabolical lies told to women" about topics such as abortion, in vitro fertilization (IVF), surrogacy, and President Joe Biden.
The NFL and the nuns at Benedictine College spoke out against Butker's views after the circulation of clips from his speech on social media.
Jonathan Beane, the NFL’s senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer penned in a written statement, “Harrison Butker gave a speech in his capacity. His views are not those of the NFL as an organization. The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger.”
This article contains remarks made on the internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.
