Chiefs’ BJ Thompson released from hospital after seizure, cardiac arrest
Chiefs defensive end BJ Thompson is out of the hospital days after suffering a seizure in a team meeting and going into cardiac arrest.
Thompson’s agent Chris Turnage told NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero that the Chiefs player was released from the hospital on Monday night.
Thompson had been in a special teams meeting at the Chiefs facility on Thursday when the episode occurred and it has been reported that the Chiefs’ medical team acted swiftly in response.
The former fifth-round pick out of Stephen F. Austin State University in 2023 had originally been listed as unconscious but in stable condition, his agent told Pelissero on Thursday night.
In a statement on Friday to KCTV, Turnage praised the quick work of the Chiefs’ medical staff.
“Some of the Chiefs’ staff came up today to see BJ and talk to him, which I thought was a great touch,” Turnage said. “The Chiefs’ training staff did a phenomenal job. Our thanks goes out to them, because if it weren’t for them, we’d be talking a very different story.”
Chiefs vice president of sports medicine and performance Rick Burkholder told reporters last Friday that Thompson had been awake and alert, and was “headed in the absolute right direction.”
He also revealed that it was kicker Harrison Butker who had alerted the medical staff of Thompson’s condition.
“Our team of that group of people provided CPR for him,” Burkholder said. “He had one AED shock and came back. He was in cardiac arrest for less than a minute, a minute and a half. Our players, security staff, coaching staff — they were phenomenal in handling the crisis. We then turned him over to the Kansas City (Missouri) Fire Department.”
The Chiefs canceled team activities for Thursday after the incident.
Last week, Thompson and the Chiefs visited the White House to celebrate the team’s back-to-back Super Bowl championships.
During the visit, Thompson had posted to Instagram, “Posted at the White House got me feeling like the president.”