The Kansas City Chiefs have waived defensive star BJ Thompson with an injury designation after he went into cardiac arrest during a team meeting last June.

Thompson was stabilized at a local hospital and spent all of the 2024 season on injured reserve.

As every NFL roster spot is critical, and Thompson is not at full strength, the move was necessary from the Chiefs ahead of their upcoming rookie minicamp.

Thompson will now hit waivers and if he not claimed by another team, which is unlikely do to him not being close to game shape, he will go to Kansas City’s injured reserve list again with his designation.

‘Just real quick with BJ Thompson,’ Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said this week. ‘I think he saw where we waived him to [injury] designation there. So he is making progress, but just not quite, not quite there yet, but he’s made great, great strides.

‘And so in this day and age of the way football is, we had to do something there. And this is the route that we went. But it doesn’t mean his career is over by any means, just where we’re at today.’

The Chiefs have no shortage of firepower all over the field, giving them a luxury when it comes to depth.

However, Thompson’s status would make him not close to playing. He is clearly someone the organization values to keep a route possibly back to football with Kansas City.

Thompson’s NFL future is unclear after going through cardiac arrest, as the move to send him through waivers is the first concrete move from the Chiefs on his status since last June.

Thompson was a fifth-round draft pick of the Chiefs in 2023, although he rarely saw the field during his rookie season.

The defensive end played in one game, against the Los Angeles Chargers, making two tackles.