Tag: BJ Thompson

Chiefs K Harrison Butker assisted teammate during medical emergency

Kansas City #Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker’s quick response helped BJ Thompson during a medical emergency at team facilities last Thursday. | @EdEastonJr

The unity of a team during uncertain moments, whether on the football field or in life, is essential. There is a care and concern for one another that can’t be measured, as was the case during BJ Thompson’s medical emergency at the Kansas City Chiefs training facility Thursday.

Chiefs Vice President of Sports Medicine and Performance Rick Burkholder addressed the media after Friday’s practice to explain the traumatic situation and Thompson’s progress.

“BJ, when he had the seizure, (Harrison) Butker immediately ran towards the training room and grabbed Julie Frymyer and David Glover and grabbed me,” Burkholder told reporters. “We went into the room, and eventually, Tiffany Morton and Evan Craft came in; as well as this facility, we have a doctor’s office down the hall, and Dr. J.P. Darche from Kansas University Health System was there.

“He came up and assisted in as a team. We tried to stabilize BJ and then put him on the floor while he was still seizing, and then he went into cardiac arrest. So our team of that group of people provided CPR for him. He had one AED shock and came back. So he was he was only in cardiac arrest for probably less than a minute, minute and a half.”

The Chiefs and every team in the league must practice life-saving procedures similar to those used for helping Thompson. Burkholder and the players reviewed the protocols on Monday of this week.

“(Thompson) was taken to KU Hospital, where he was heavily sedated yesterday through the night, and then he was brought out of the sedation this morning,” Burkholder explained. “He was on a ventilator overnight, just so he could breathe, because he was so heavily sedated that’s all out. He’s alert, he’s awake. He’s coming through quite well. We don’t have a diagnosis, and sometimes you don’t have that in medicine. He’s awake and alert and headed in the absolute right direction.”

Butker’s immediate response, highlighted in the special teams meeting, helped save precious time as Thompson efficiently got medical attention.

Chiefs defensive lineman BJ Thompson in stable condition after going into cardiac arrest

#Chiefs DL BJ Thompson is in stable condition after going into cardiac arrest at practice | @EdEastonJr

Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman BJ Thompson was revealed as the player taken to the hospital before Thursday’s practice. The 25-year-old, after having a seizure and going into cardiac arrest, was taken to a nearby hospital by ambulance from the Chiefs practice facility.

“The Chiefs player who was taken to the hospital today was defensive end B.J. Thompson, a fifth-round draft pick last year, according to a source,” posted ESPN’s Adam Teicher on his X account.

Thompson was selected out of Stephen F. Austin in the fifth round of the 2023 draft by Kansas City. He played in the Week 18 finale against the Los Angeles Chargers as a rookie, collecting two tackles. Thompson started his college career at Baylor, playing two years, recording 18 tackles and five sacks before transferring in 2019. At 6-feet-6 and 243 pounds, he was a two-time first-team All-WAC in 2021 and 2022 while playing for the Lumberjacks.

The Chiefs canceled all team activities on Thursday in response to the medical emergency. The team is expected to resume OTA practice in front of media members on Friday.

Chiefs DL BJ Thompson stable after going into cardiac arrest in team meeting

The Chiefs postponed team activities after DJ Thompson had a medical episode in a team meeting

Scariest of times for the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Super Bowl champions were having team meetings on Thursday when defensive lineman BJ Thompson had a seizure and went into cardiac arrest.

Thompson was stabilized and taken to a hospital via ambulance.

The team canceled all activities for the remainder of the day.

Thompson began his college career at Baylor before transferring to Stephen F. Austin in 2019.

Chiefs rookie class: Grading their training camp performance

Check out our grades for all of the #Chiefs’ top rookies through two weeks of training camp practices.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ 2023 rookie class has shown flashes of brilliance at the team’s training camp in St. Joseph, Missouri. Second-round wide receiver Rashee Rice has the deepest highlight reel of the group through two weeks of practices, but others like Keondre Coburn, Nic Jones, and Felix Anudike-Uzomah have been standout performers at their respective positions.

A few undrafted players have also stood out for the team in workouts, particularly running back Deneric Prince and receiver Nikko Remigio.

Take a look at our grades for each member of the Chiefs’ 2023 rookie class,

Chiefs officially sign 5 players from rookie draft class

The #Chiefs announced that five members of their 2023 NFL draft class have officially signed their rookie contracts.

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The Kansas City Chiefs have announced that five players from their 2023 NFL draft class have officially signed their rookie contracts.

We already knew that both fourth-round pick Chamarri Conner and seventh-round pick Nic Jones had inked their deals with the team. Now we know that third-round pick Wanya Morris, fifth-round pick BJ Thompson and sixth-round pick Keondre Coburn have joined them.

Each of the rookies agreed to a standard four-year contract, locking them to the Chiefs through the 2026 NFL season.

They even have the traditional pictures of all five players signing their deals with the team:

Below are the projected contracts based on draft slots for each of the five draft picks signed by Kansas City, courtesy of Spotrac:

Player Total Value Signing Bonus Cap Hit
Wanya Morris $5.3M $904K $976K
Chamarri Conner $4.5M $751k $937K
BJ Thompson $4.1M $271K $817K
Keondre Coburn $4M $176K $795K
Nic Jones $3.9M $77K $769K

With these five players locked up ahead of OTAs, which begin on Monday, May 22, only first-round draft pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah and second-round draft pick Rashee Rice remain unsigned. Expect those deals to get done in short order, with them making the largest impact on the 2023 salary cap.

Rice’s deal likely being the most difficult to get done, just as Skyy Moore’s was a season ago. He’s in the range where his representation will have a bit more wiggle-room to negotiate a higher percentage of guaranteed money.

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Chiefs rookie DE BJ Thompson enthusiastic about potential special teams role

Rookie BJ Thompson is ready to make an impact for the #Chiefs’ special teams unit in 2023. | from @TheJohnDillon

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Rookies don’t always get a chance to compete for playing time in the NFL, let alone for a team like the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. Nonetheless, fifth-round selection B.J. Thompson is looking to make his mark for the team in any way he can in 2023, including on special teams if necessary.

He told reporters about his ability to play in the game’s third phase at rookie minicamp over the weekend, which he said is a core part of his identity as a football player.

“Special teams has always been a big part for me, especially coming from Baylor,” Thompson explained. “We put a lot of emphasis on it. The other team they might decide to take that play off or whatnot but if you go all out on those plays then you have the chance to get the upper hand. I know coming to the NFL, playing special teams is a big part making a team or whatnot. So, I’m all in on special teams. I can play all four and hopefully that keeps me around for a while.”

When Thompson played at Baylor in 2018, he tallied a blocked field goal, a blocked extra point and a blocked punt. His role on special teams decreased when he transferred to Stephen F. Austin as he took a larger role on defense. If he can manage to find the field consistently on punt and field goal block units, Thompson’s rise to stardom in Kansas City may be accelerated despite his day 3 draft status.

Andy Reid and Dave Toub are known for giving players chances to show their mettle if their performance in practice warrants it, so keep your eye on Thompson during training camp later in the summer to see if he has what it takes to compete in one of football’s most underappreciated phases.

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Chiefs rookie DE BJ Thompson says he’s proud to play for Joe Cullen

BJ Thompson is the latest example of #Chiefs defensive line coach Joe Cullen’s influence in Kansas City.

The Kansas City Chiefs showed quite a bit of pre-draft interest in Stephen F. Austin DE BJ Thompson before his eventual selection in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL draft.

Thompson met with the Chiefs at the East-West Shrine Bowl, met with them again at his pro day and visited the team ahead of the draft. There was also another interaction that seemed to be an important one.

Asked about his first impression of defensive line coach Joe Cullen, Thompson revealed that he already had an idea of the type of coach he was. That’s because he also participated in a private workout for the Chiefs after his pro day.

“Coach (Joe) Cullen, he came to my private workout a couple of days after my pro day,” Thompson said. “So, I already kind of had a little impression of him. I like him. I like his coaching style. He likes to get after it.”

Cullen seemed to be leading the charge on landing Thompson in the draft. The rookie defender said that they maintained contact throughout the draft and that Cullen made good on a promise.

“You know we talked all throughout the pre-draft process,” Thompson said. “He said he was going to do all he could to get me and whatnot. He did just that.”

What intrigued Cullen the most about Thompson as a player? Thompson specifically pointed to one area of his game.

“Just my athletic ability, I think,” Thompson said. “My ability to rush the passer and do a multitude of things. I feel like he’s excited to be able to coach me.”

Thompson’s athletic numbers from his pro day landed in the elite ranges, posting numbers that are more common for a receiver and not an edge rusher. That athleticism pops off the tape, but he’s also considered underweight for Steve Spagnuolo’s scheme at 243 pounds.

“Yeah, most definitely, I plan on gaining some more weight,” Thompson said. “Me and coach talked about that. So, yeah. I’m just going to continue doing that.”

Cullen’s influence is already being felt by the young player, just a few days into rookie minicamp. Whether it’s transforming his body for the NFL game or otherwise, Thompson appears pleased with his new coach.

“Like I said, we’re getting in shape while working with him and he’s going to coach you hard,” Thompson said. “I’m proud to be one of his players.”

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Highlights of every Chiefs draft pick from Day 3

Check out highlights of every #Chiefs draft pick from Day 3:

The Kansas City Chiefs added four players during Day 3 of the 2023 NFL draft.

Each brings a unique and intriguing set of skills to the table as the team looks to repeat after winning Super Bowl LVII. The picks made during Day 3 last season ended up becoming impact contributors for Kansas City en route to winning their second championship in four seasons. Will this group make a similar type of impact?

Check out highlights of each of the Chiefs’ Day 3 picks down below and you be the judge:

BJ Thompson says draft call from Chiefs was flagged as ‘spam risk’

One of the #Chiefs’ newest draft picks almost missed his call from the team due to a “spam risk” notification on his cell phone.

One of the Kansas City Chiefs’ Day 3 draft picks almost blocked his blessing by thinking that his draft call was actually a spam call.

During his post-selection press conference with members of the media, new Chiefs edge rusher BJ Thompson revealed that when he got his draft call, it was flagged as a “spam risk” by his phone. The England, Arkansas native probably doesn’t get too many calls with the Missouri area code and his phone didn’t seem to trust the call from Kansas City.

“Man, I got the call and it said, ‘Spam Risk.’ And I was like, ‘I don’t know, man,'” Thompson explained. “I knew the Chiefs were interested and that they had a draft pick coming up, so I answered it. As soon as I heard coach’s voice on the phone, man, I just instantly came with emotion. Like I said, I’ve been grinding for this for a long, long time and it has been a long time coming. So, just a lot of excitement, a lot of emotion and just happy that I finally made my dreams a reality.”

Thankfully, Thompson trusted his gut on this one and answered the call alerting him that he’d been drafted by the Chiefs at pick No. 166 overall in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL draft. The team probably would have just called him back a second time had he not answered. At least now he’s got an amusing story to tell.

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Lions hosted official pre-draft visit for Stephen F Austin EDGE BJ Thompson

The Lions had Thompson for an official visit and also met with him at the Shrine Bowl

In the quest to find the best possible options for the 2023 NFL draft, the Detroit Lions have done some searching at the FCS level. The Lions were one of several teams to have representation at the pro day for Stephen F. Austin.

One of the Jacks’ top prospects is a player the Lions know well. Pass rusher BJ Thompson has already had an official pre-draft visit with the Lions, according to PFN’s Tony Pauline. Detroit also met privately with the 6-foot-5, 243-pound EDGE during Shrine Bowl week in Las Vegas in January, a meeting confirmed by bowl game sources.

Thompson is a potential late-round prospect, a Baylor transfer who turned 26 the day before his pro day at SFA. He played at a much lighter weight during his time in Nacogdoches.

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