Chiefs stars’ Kansas City charity softball game goes ahead, despite BJ Thompson suffering cardiac arrest in team meeting just hours earlier
Kansas City Chiefs stars Justin Reid and Trey Smith continued with their charity softball event Thursday night – just hours after teammate BJ Thompson went into cardiac arrest.
The Chiefs had to postpone OTA practice earlier in the day when defensive lineman Thompson suffered a seizure during a special teams meeting and went into cardiac arrest.
With Thompson in a stable condition in the hospital, his teammates’ charity event went ahead, according to NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero.
Reid and Smith hosted the second annual Kansas City charity softball game, previously hosted by Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who was traded to the Buffalo Bills this offseason.
Their Chiefs teammates came to Legends Field, where the Kansas City Monarchs play, to show their support.
BJ Thompson suffered a seizure during a special teams meeting and went into cardiac arrest on Thursday
Chiefs stars Justin Reid and Trey Smith continued with their charity softball event
According to Harold R. Kuntz of Fox4KC, the Chiefs team chaplain held a moment of prayer for Thompson prior to the game.
The likes of Louis Rees-Zammit – the former Wales rugby international – Drue Tranquill, Jaden Hicks and even defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo turned up for the attack versus defense event.
Chiefs superfan James Droz was scheduled to throw out the ceremonial first pitch of the game, while some fans were lucky enough to meet the players as they headed out for the $1,000 meet-and-greet passes.
On the evening it was announced that $200,000 had been raised, with proceeds going to Reid and Smith’s respective foundations.
The charity event came after the team had to cancel their practice session on Thursday due to Thompson’s scare.
“The Chiefs canceled all team activities today after a backup defensive lineman suffered a seizure during a special teams meeting and went into cardiac arrest,” Pelissero wrote on X.
“The team’s medical staff worked quickly, an ambulance was called and the player is currently in stable condition.”
According to The Athletic, the Chiefs will practice on Friday. The team has been contacted for comment but the media availability scheduled with coach Andy Reid has now been cancelled.
Louis Rees-Zammit – the former Wales rugby international – was among those in attendance
Reid (pictured) and Smith will spend the evening raising money for their respective charities
Thompson, 25, was a 2023 fifth-round draft pick by the Chiefs out of Stephen F. Austin University in Texas. He made one appearance for the team, against the Chargers in January, the final game of the regular season. Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce missed that game, even though a spot in the playoffs had already been secured.
Last week, Thompson was part of the Chiefs team that visited the White House to celebrate their Super Bowl title with President Biden. He shared several photos of the visit on his Instagram account, joking in the caption that the trip “made me feel like the president.”
Speaking to the media last May after being picked by the Chiefs, Thompson, who grew up in Arkansas, said, “I just want to stand up for my city and show them that anything is possible, no matter where you come from. Hopefully I achieve that.
“Me and my friends, we all had dreams and goals of NFL, NBA, but along the way dreams die and people have different plans.
Thompson, 25, has made one appearance for the Chiefs since being drafted in 2023
Last week, Thompson was at the White House as the Chiefs celebrated their Super Bowl victory
Thompson joked on Instagram that his trip to the White House made him feel like president
‘It’s never really been that way for me. I always had it in the back of my mind that I was going to play professional sports and I was blessed enough to make it happen.”
Time will tell what this means for Thompson’s career, but Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest on the field when his Buffalo Bills team played the Cincinnati Bengals. He returned to the game last season and made eight appearances.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes led his players through OTAs this week as the team began preparations for their shot at an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl title in the new season.
Reid’s team has been practicing this week ahead of a mandatory minicamp next week, which runs June 11-13, where Mahomes will rejoin Travis Kelce. OTAs typically see teams performing drills without physical contact.