Andy Reid didn’t need to use many words to convince linebacker Drue Tranquill to sign with the Kansas City Chiefs during the offseason. The head coach basically told the free agent to “think big” when it came to making a decision about his future.
On NFL Total Access this week, Tranquill — who left the Los Angeles Chargers for Kansas City — revealed Reid’s message. He’s a pretty convincing recruiter.
“Well, obviously, to me, obviously football is a business, but football’s also family,” Tranquill said, per NFL.com. “I poured my heart out there for four years in L.A. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out. I was really honored by the way the Chiefs pursued me, all the way from the front office down to the coaching staff.
“Andy Reid literally texted me the morning of [when] I was going to make my decision and he was like, ‘Think red. Think red. Think Super Bowls.’ I just felt really valued over there, felt like they really had a role for me and really wanted me over there. So, I’m excited to join up with those guys. I’m going to miss a lot of my teammates and coaches over there in L.A., but excited for this next step.”
Reid has led the Chiefs to a pair of Super Bowl victories in the past four seasons, including an NFL title last year. Adding Tranquill to the linebacker corps can enhance Kansas City’s chances of repeating as world champions.
Tranquill enjoyed a sensational 2022 campaign with the Chargers. He racked up a career-best 146 tackles, five sacks and four passes defended. Those numbers are substantial increases from his previous career-bests — totaling 76 tackles in 2021.
The linebacker’s success on the field last season resulted in a one-year contract deal with the Chiefs worth $3 million. He says he’s particularly excited to fit into Steve Spagnuolo’s defense this year.
“I just love what Spags does with his players,” Tranquill said. “He puts them in positions to be successful. I think one of my key traits is my versatility: my ability to defend the run, play the pass, play man-to-man, zone coverage, make plays on the ball down the field. And I think one of the things that kinda sets me apart as a linebacker is my ability to rush the passer. Spags obviously does a lot of different things with blitzes, so I’m excited to see what we’re able to put together and try to get back-to-back (championships) here.”
In his career, Tranquill has totaled 298 stops and 6.5 sacks.
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