NEW ORLEANS — Super Bowl LIX will have a special connection for Drue Tranquill, a reminder of what could have been if he didn’t choose the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Philadelphia Eagles fought hard to sign Tranquill to play linebacker for them after their Super Bowl run. Tranquill was a free agent after four seasons playing with the Los Angeles Chargers, looking to prove himself after a breakout season with the team that drafted him.
The Chargers moved on and the Eagles wanted to bring Tranquill in to fill one of the vacant linebacker spots. So did the Chiefs. Tranquill chose Kansas City over Philadelphia, the team the Chiefs are playing in the Super Bowl.
“They’re both two great organizations and I talked a lot with Howie (Roseman) and there was a good opportunity for me there. But I just felt like Coach Spags [Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo] and Coach [Chiefs head coach Andy] Reid laid out a clear plan for me. They thought I could fit into this defense.”
Tranquill made the right call with Kansas City, having 4.5 sacks and 78 tackles in his first year with the Chiefs. He was an instrumental part in the Chiefs having the No. 2 defense in points and yards allowed that season, the driving force behind their Super Bowl title.
“It was obviously a great organization and I felt they wanted me a little bit more than Philadelphia did,” Tranquill said. “They pursued me a little bit harder. They gave me a few more incentives. I felt it was a better option.”
Tranquill didn’t give the Eagles — or any other team — a chance after his one-year deal with Kansas City was complete. He signed a three-year, $19 million deal before free agency started, solidifying his future with the Chiefs. He started all 16 regular season games he played, finishing with 94 tackles and 2.0 sacks.
The Eagles couldn’t get Tranquill last year, so they settled for Zack Baun and took a flyer on him with a one-year deal. The Eagles learned their lesson with Tranquill and gave Baun the incentives to come to Philadelphia. Like Tranquill in Kansas City, Baun proved Philadelphia right on the one-year flyer.
Baun even became an All-Pro, much to Tranquill’s respect.
“He’s fantastic. I think he’s had a heck of a season,” Tranquill said. “I enjoy watching him play and the way he attacks the football. It’s a great story. He was a guy that really didn’t play a lot in New Orleans and had a chance in Philly.
“He was a guy that was in a similar situation like I was on a one-year deal and made the most of his opportunity. I really respect him as a player.”
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Author: Jeff Kerr
February 4, 2025 | 5:45 pm
