KC Chiefs LB Drue Tranquill Throws Shade at LA Chargers During Super Bowl LVIII Parade
Editor’s note: All of our ongoing Chiefs coverage feels insignificant in the shadow of the horrific events at the team’s championship parade. We’re devastated for the victims, their friends and families, and Kansas City. If you can find any joy, hope, or relief by reading about your favorite team, we’ll have some of that for you here as we continue on. If you don’t have a desire for that distraction, I don’t blame you one bit. Take care of each other, and thank you for reading. — Joshua Brisco
The Kansas City Chiefs worked hard all season and after their Super Bowl LVIII win over the San Francisco 49ers, they partied hard as well.
With the team back in town, Chiefs employees — players, coaches, front office staff and more — gathered for another championship parade in downtown Kansas City. Double-decker buses, trucks, golf carts and the like drove the Chiefs around their route which ended in front of Union Station. An on-stage rally ensued, featuring plenty of personality and excitement.
Along the parade route, linebacker Drue Tranquill made it perfectly clear how much he enjoyed this season. In the process, he threw some shade at his time with the Los Angeles Chargers prior to the 2023-24 campaign. KSHB 41 in Kansas City captured his legendary rant.
"Hey, this is way better than LA, I can tell you that much, baby," Tranquill said. "These streets are live, there's millions of people here. It's a special moment. I'm about to take your mic from you. I mean, my goodness. Miami, got 'em. Buffalo, got 'em. In a blizzard in the snow, in Baltimore. Can't beat them, big bad wolves, no chance! And then the big bad 49ers. Oh, coming in. Oh, this, that and the other, man. Big Red (Andy Reid), T-Swift (Taylor Swift) and the boys came and took it. We took it; they didn't give us nothing, and we took it. I don't even have a voice right now. I love you guys!"
For Tranquill, winning was a major influence in his decision to come to Kansas City. Late last month, the 28-year-old posted an offseason text message from Reid that looks quite fitting in retrospect. Reid commented on the text, which ultimately led to Tranquill signing with the Chiefs and being perhaps their best linebacker during the season.
Before joining the Chiefs, Tranquill didn't have much experience with high-level or consistent winning. After being drafted in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft by Los Angeles, the team posted a 31-35 record in four seasons with him on the roster. They made the playoffs just once, losing to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card round two campaigns ago. Coming off a career year, Tranquill signed an inexpensive one-year deal with the Chiefs that paid off in a big way. In 16 regular-season games, he recorded 78 tackles with seven quarterback hits, 4.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.
Projections for Tranquill's free agent value don't reflect a player who's going to get the proverbial Brink's truck backed up to his residence. That potentially bodes well for the Chiefs, who would be wise to be interested in a reunion this offseason. Tranquill played a critical role on defense when Nick Bolton was out with injury, and the versatility he provides is huge. Luckily for the team, there couldn't have been a much better first impression left on the Notre Dame product. Now, he'll have to weigh his options moving forward and decide whether the winning culture is enough to bring him back for future seasons.
