A slight delay on his flight, Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones wouldn’t have been present in the game against the Baltimore Ravens to take the team’s first defensive snap and his fourth start of the season. But the Chiefs didn’t hesitate to take the risk. Because this is for one of the most important players on their team. Coach Andy Reid had a few touching words to share his sentiments and explain the situation.
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He didn’t hesitate to prioritize Jones and said, “He had to do what he had to do there.” Jones had to fly to Mississippi to attend his aunt’s funeral. So, the team came up with a flight plan such that the tackle could go see his aunt and land back in Kansas City for the game. Jones reached just 20 minutes before the game, which kicked off at 3:25 p.m.
“I mean, that’s not something you’re planning or anything else. So, you take care of that first, and then the game kind of comes secondary when you start dealing with life and death,” Coach Reid told the reporters after the game. Earlier, he was put into the injury report and listed as “non-injury related – personal.”
The Chiefs’ quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, also had the same sentiment as he spoke highly of the DT’s dedication to being present for the game despite dealing with tough times. “We were praying for Chris and we love him…” Mahomes said as Charles Goldman reported. “It made guys step up and want to play even harder for him… It speaks to the brotherhood we have in the locker room,” the QB added (as per the X post).
As for the game, Jones explained that the sport was his way to escape from tough times.“Football is my escape, where I can escape from reality,” Jones said “And what’s really going on,” he said as he feels that playing football is much like returning to one’s younger, carefree self. Condolences poured in for the player and his family across social media.
But that’s not the only reason. He was motivated by the fact that he had to return for his teammates and brothers. “It was a lot, overcome with emotions,” the DT admitted. “But it felt fun to be back on the field with my brothers, enjoy the win, the atmosphere, feeling the energy here.” And the fun of the game is true indeed.
The Chiefs won, but what’s more important is that the team looked healthy and better than before. It was obvious to the veteran DT, too. “I think we took a step forward as a team, offense-wise, defense-wise, and special teams,” he said. Jones had 2 QB hits, 1 TFL, and a pass deflection in the 37-20 win over the Ravens.
Mahomes threw for 270 yards and four touchdowns in the game.
The QB also admitted to the mistakes that occurred on the Chiefs’ end, and said, “We’ve been making little mistakes here and there and that causes frustration.” But he showed optimism that the team had been learning from all those missteps. “But we’ve been learning from them. I’ve been proud of the guys for the way they’ve responded, getting better every week.”
The Ravens’ defensive struggles and injuries are also a factor. The Chiefs’ own offense had been shaky in the first three weeks, came alive, scoring on their first four drives against the Ravens. Place kicker Harrison Butker added two field goals, and Mahomes connected with wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and running back Isiah Pacheco for touchdowns.
The Chiefs will look to carry that momentum into their next game.
