The Kansas City Chiefs' defense took the field to start the game against the Green Bay Packers as Jordan Love and the opposing offense attempted to take an early lead in Week 13. Unfortunately for the Chiefs, they suffered a quick loss to the unit as linebacker Drue Tranquill went down with an injury just a handful of plays into the game.
Update: The Chiefs have placed Tranquill in concussion protocol and is out for the game.
Drue Tranquill went for the tackle on AJ Dillon, took a knee to the head and goes down.
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 4, 2023
He was helped off the field and into the Chiefs locker room 🙏pic.twitter.com/JlyupqRWEi
Tranquill was being attended to by Chiefs trainers shortly after Packers running back A.J. Dillon had carried the ball on a five-yard play on the team's opening drive. He then headed for the locker room, but the team has made no official designation on his injury or potential return.
The loss of Tranquill only further takes away from a loaded linebacker position for Kansas City, who are waiting on Nick Bolton to return from a wrist dislocation that required surgery earlier this year. Bolton was expected to miss two months, which meant a late December return, but he recently came back to practice, which started his 21-day window to return to the active roster or be sidelined for a full season.
Without Bolton, Chiefs linebacker Jack Cochrane takes over for Tranquill on the field as the primary leader or communicator for the linebacking corps. Cochrane is a former South Dakota product who signed with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent after the 2022 NFL Draft. It will be an interesting development to follow for as long as Tranquill is out.
Tranquill was a free agent signing for the Chiefs this spring after spending his first four seasons in the AFC West with the Los Angeles Chargers.