“When my wife and I flew into KC to do our signing I was like ‘this feels weird’, man, I had been in the same building for 4 years and then was in my rivals facility signing a contract.”
New Chiefs LB @dtranquill discusses the move from the Chargers to the Chiefs: pic.twitter.com/mgFBmmlM6c
— Ross Tucker Podcast (@RossTuckerPod) May 18, 2023
It was a bit of a surprise to Kansas City Chiefs fans when former Los Angeles Chargers LB Drue Tranquill signed with the team in free agency. Now, he’s expected to be a key contributor in the defensive rotation as Steve Spagnuolo loves to change things up with varied linebacker packages.
In a recent interview on the Ross Tucker Podcast, Tranquill spoke about what led him to Kansas City and how signing with a rival team felt a bit strange at first.
“When my wife and I flew into Kansas City to do our signing, I walked in the practice facility and I was like, ‘I’ve got to say, this feels weird,'” Tranquill said. “Like, I’ve walked in the same building for four years, and here I am, arguably in our biggest rivals facility. But man, we’re just excited for this new chapter.”
Tranquill revealed that he hoped to remain with Los Angeles in free agency — and you can’t really blame him. He spent four years there and started a family there. He even said that Chargers GM Tom Telesco told him in his exit meeting he was going to be a priority for the team in free agency.
“I was a little surprised the Chargers didn’t want to bring me back,” Tranquill said. “There were people in the building that really wanted me back and there were a few people that wanted to move on. Business is business, but when you give four years so hard to an organization and it doesn’t feel reciprocated, that’s hard.”
Kansas City, on the other hand, they were straightforward with Tranquill throughout the free agent process. They informed him of their priorities in free agency, but they made it clear that they wanted him with the Chiefs. In the end, that’s exactly where he ended up and where he feels like he belongs.
“The Chiefs were adamant all week,” Tranquill said. “They really wanted me. . . I think just the championship culture there, the coaching staff. When you talk about Super Bowl-winning coaches. Brendan Daly, our linebackers coach, he’s done it in New England, he’s done it with the Chiefs. We were really, really excited. Waited longer than we thought. The linebacker market was just very saturated, a lot of guys, a lot of free agents. But, man, so excited talking to Andy Reid, talking to (Brendan Daly), talking to Brett Veach — they’re so excited to have me. They really wanted me, really pursued me hard and were excited to be (with the) Chiefs.”
Tranquill knows he’ll have to earn his keep in a competitive linebacker room, but he seems excited for the challenge and the opportunity to continue improving his craft in Kansas City.
