Drue Tranquill appreciated Chiefs’ challenge to him in free agency

Drue Tranquill is the newest face in the Kansas City Chiefs linebacker room, and he says he’s on board because of the challenge offered him in free agency.

Earlier this offseason, the Kansas City Chiefs made perhaps their most surprising signing in free agency when they landed linebacker Drue Tranquill, formerly of the Los Angeles Chargers, on board on a one-year contract. The surprise was not about the commitment or Tranquill’s talents; rather, the Chiefs seemed set at the position with other needs more pronounced.

Moving forward, however, that unexpected addition might yield the most results for the team’s defense in 2023. Tranquill is a familiar face after four seasons of playing him twice each year in the AFC West, and his development over time turned him into a well-rounded defender in the second level without any great weakness.

If it seems like an abundance of riches, it might be if the entire unit stays healthy for the Chiefs, but it’s also true that guys like Willie Gay Jr. have had issues staying on the field for all 16 or 17 games thus far. It’s also true that each of the Chiefs’ linebackers also had very clear strengths and weaknesses—at least before now. Tranquill’s signing will allow defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo the chance to confuse defenses with who might drop into coverage or who might come on a blitz.

In a recent interview on the Ross Tucker podcast, Tranquill spoke to the host about his decision to sign with the Chiefs and his memories with the Chargers. Specifically, it’s clear he already had a lot of respect for what the Chiefs had been building in the linebacker room overall.

“The linebacker room is incredible. When you look at the guys across the board: Nick Bolton, Willie Gay, Leo Chenal, Cole Christiansen. I mean, it’s just a deep room. There are a lot of guys that can really play some ball. I know I’m missing a couple of guys and I’m looking forward to meeting them all in a couple of days.”

When asked about signing with the team, Tranquill said the messaging from Andy Reid and Brett Veach was similar to his collegiate decision to play for Notre Dame. We’ll let him explain:

“Just from the coaching staff to the personnel, when I look at my story at Notre Dame and I chose Notre Dame over Purdue, it’s a very similar story. Brett Veach’s and Andy Reid’s message was, ‘Drue, there are no promises here. We love you as a player and love what you’re able to do. You’re super versatile and a total linebacker who can do it all, but we’ve got a lot of great players here. You’re gonna have to come in here and earn your way.’

“It was the same message when I chose Notre Dame over Purdue. Purdue said, ‘Hey, you’ll come in here and play right away.’ Notre Dame said, ‘You’re gonna have to earn your way.’ If I’ve learned anything in my story, it’s when I’ve surrounded myself with people who are as good or better than I am, I have always felt better coming out the other end.

“I think the ultimate goal for me is that I want to be the best player Drue Tranquill can be, and I think the Kansas City Chiefs, out of all of the teams that made a push for me in free agency, gave me the best chance to do that.”

You can watch the entire interview below: