BJ Thompson, a defensive end for the Kansas City Chiefs, went into cardiac arrest during a special teams meeting, but his agent told NFL Network that Thompson was discharged from the hospital on Monday, four days later.
“The family thanks everyone for their prayers and wants to especially thank the Chiefs medical and training staff for their rapid response and professionalism throughout this situation,” Thompson’s representative, Chris Turnage, stated in an NFL Network statement.
Nearly 24 hours after the medical emergency on Thursday morning, Thompson awoke on Friday morning in the University of Kansas medical facility in a stable condition.
Vice president of sports health and performance for the Chiefs Rick Burkholder said on Friday that kicker Harrison Butker recognized Thompson was suffering a seizure and notified trainers right away. Burkholder and his team collaborated to assist in resuscitating Thompson after he experienced cardiac arrest and collapsed to the ground.
“Our (medical) team of that group of people provided CPR for him and he had one AED shock and came back,” Burkholder said. “He was only in cardiac arrest for probably less than a minute.”
After that, Thompson was transported by ambulance to the hospital, where he was given a deep sedative.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute defines cardiac arrest as the heart’s abrupt cessation of blood pumping. Blood stops flowing to the brain and other vital organs when this happens.
The heart stops beating abruptly and goes out of rhythm during cardiac arrest. The individual ceases breathing, loses consciousness, and has no longer got a pulse. In contrast to a heart attack, cardiac arrest is brought on by an electrical disruption that impairs the heart’s ability to pump blood throughout the body, eventually halting blood flow. The heart is not blocked in any way.
The Chiefs’ voluntary organized team activities practice was pushed back until Friday afternoon due to the medical emergency.
Our thoughts and prayers are with BJ Thompson. Chiefs Kingdom, help us wish him a speedy recovery! pic.twitter.com/GkXwG2zfZm
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) June 7, 2024
Thompson, a former basketball player who was selected in the fifth round of the 2023 draft, is one of the Chiefs’ developing defensive ends. He played virtually his whole rookie season as a redshirt freshman in college. In his one appearance, which came in the Chiefs’ final regular-season game against the Chargers, he recorded two tackles in 28 defensive snaps.
Thompson, who will turn 27 in 2024, is looking to establish himself as a rotational edge rusher.
(Photo: Orlando Ramirez / USA Today)
