On Sunday, the Chiefs’ defensive anchor, Chris Jones, stepped into Arrowhead Stadium wearing a black suit he had just worn hours earlier to his Aunt Don’s funeral in Mississippi. The six-time Pro Bowler barely had time to breathe; his flight touched down in Kansas City at 2:40 p.m. CT, less than an hour before kickoff. CBS cameras captured Jones walking into Arrowhead at 2:57 p.m. before quickly changing into his red-and-white No. 95 jersey.

Nothing stopped him from being there for his team. And when the whistle blew, against the Baltimore Ravens, Jones delivered a tackle-for-loss, swatted down a pass, and handed over two quarterback hits, fueling Kansas City’s 37-20 statement win in an AFC clash. Fans had already flooded social media with messages of support for the three-time All-Pro when Jones turned around to share a special celebration, his son Carson Dakota Jones’ birthday.

On Instagram, Jones posted a carousel of photos from the party, featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse and his little one front and center. “Happy Birthday to my prince!” the defensive star wrote, as fans rushed into the comments to send well wishes for the now 3-year-old. Carson, born October 24, 2022, is Jones’ second child with ex-girlfriend Sheawna Weathersby. The former couple, who started dating back in 2015, also share another son, Christopher Jones II—affectionately known as “Deuce.”

Jones and Weathersby ended their nine-year relationship earlier this year, a split that quickly made headlines after Weathersby accused him of cheating in an Instagram post in March. Just weeks later, Jones confirmed his single status with a cryptic “I’m like 106% single” graphic on X. Not long after, he was seen sharing PDA-filled moments with a woman identified as Giselle.

Through it all, Jones hasn’t shied away from being open. When asked at Chiefs training camp about one thing on his bucket list, Jones admitted, “I just wanna be married; I just wanna be loved.” His honesty is what makes him special to fans, especially given the personal storms he’s faced off the field. And yet, he keeps pushing forward. After Sunday’s game, Jones reminded reporters why he never stops showing up.

“Football is my escape, where I can escape from the reality of what’s really going on and just have fun, be like a kid in the backyard playing football again.” That spirit is why Kansas City roared when his name was called in player introductions, and it’s why Chiefs Kingdom is now coming together again for his little prince, Carson.

Fans shower love and birthday wishes for Chris Jones’ son

One fan wrote, “Your strength is admirable. A funeral, a dub, and celebrating your kiddos birthday to top it off. What a day for you – hope you can find some time to take care of yourself as well, ❤️ HBD.” That message summed up exactly what the weekend meant for Chris Jones. Hours after attending his aunt’s funeral, he flew back to Kansas City. Through the first three weeks, the 31-year-old has played 85% of the snaps. He’s the heartbeat of Kansas City’s defense.

Even Patrick Mahomes summed it up best: “Obviously we were praying for Chris, and we love him, and we’re just happy to have him here so we can be his brothers and support him, and I think it made guys step up and want to play even harder for him.”

Another fan remarked, “He has a LEGEND as a dad! HBD!” Fans weren’t exaggerating. Jones is in his 10th NFL season and is already a six-time All-Pro member. For his son Carson Dakota Jones, who just turned three, that “legend” is his own father.

“Happy birthday youngin!!! Chris you played awesome today big dawg.” It wasn’t just Carson’s day. The Chiefs have just secured their second win.

“im sorry for ur aunt loss bless u man,” one fan added. Jones’s difficult situation didn’t go unnoticed. After the game, Jones credited his teammates: “Those are my brothers. They were very supportive and understanding of the schedule, the funeral, to where I could still be at the game and be supportive of my family aspect of it.”

“Happy Birthday lil jones and prayers to your fam , stay strong 💙❤️🙏🏾🙏🏾,” a fan said. The whole Chiefs family echoed that sentiment. It’s the brotherhood and his own Kobe Bryant-inspired mentality that allow Jones to handle heartbreak and still perform at the highest level.