Kansas City Chiefs cancel practice after DL B.J. Thompson taken by ambulance to hospital

The Kansas City Chiefs have postponed and rescheduled Thursday’s OTAs practice after a player suffered a medical emergency. The player received treatment from the team’s training and medical staff before going to the hospital in an ambulance. A Chiefs spokesperson shared that the player is in stable condition at the hospital.

According to NFL insider Tom Pelissero, the player is a defensive lineman. He suffered a seizure and went into cardiac arrest during a special teams meeting. The player was identified Thursday afternoon as defensive end B.J. Thompson.

Thompson was a fifth-round pick for the Chiefs in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Stephen F. Austin. Thompson, an Arkansas native, initially started his career at Baylor before transferring to SFA in 2020. He became an immediate impact player for the Lumberjacks. The second-year defender saw action in one game as a rookie for the Chiefs, posting two tackles in a January matchup against the Chargers.

The team will return to the field on Friday now, instead of continuing Thursday’s activities. Kansas City will wrap up OTAs this week before returning for mandatory minicamp, which starts on June 11. Mandatory minicamp is the final team activity before training camp begins in July.

Chiefs re-sign Mecole Hardman for 2024

Before Thursday’s OTAs, the Chiefs reportedly signed former second-round pick MeCole Hardman to a new deal in free agency. The former Georgia Bulldogs star is signing a new one-year deal, according to NFL insider Tom Pelissero.

Hardman became a free agent in March when his one-year deal expired. Now, he officially knows where he’ll play the 2024 season, his sixth in the league.

Drafted by the Chiefs in the 2019 NFL Draft, Hardman began his career in Kansas City. He played five seasons for them and won two Super Bowl rings before signing with the Jets as a first-time free agent. His 2023 season with New York took a dramatic turn after starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered an Achilles tear in Week 1. The team traded him to Kansas City, along with a 2025 seventh-round selection, in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round selection.

His last contract was for one season and it was worth $4 million. The details of his new one-year deal are still private.

Hardman’s return to Kansas City last season came at a very opportune time. He closed out the year playing six regular-season games for the Chiefs, tallying 14 catches for 118 yards. The real benefit came, however, in the postseason. He ended up catching the winning touchdown in Super Bowl LVIII, helping lift the team over the 49ers in overtime. He finished the championship game with three receptions for 57 yards and the touchdown.

The former Bulldogs receiver has 116 catches, 2,212 yards and 16 touchdowns in 68 regular season games played over the first five seasons of his career. He has another 27 catches, 228 yards and two touchdowns in postseason appearances.