It's Super Bowl week and for Chris Jones, that means he's eating good. Evidently, Jones is a big fan of Steve Spagnuolo's wife's meatballs and even has a superstition about them.
Over the last few years, Jones has enjoyed the cooking of Maria Spagnuolo—specifically the meatballs—ahead of important postseason games. It's a defensive team tradition that began after the Chiefs won their first Super Bowl in 50 years.
Chris Jones said the secret to coming back was Steve Spagnuolo’s wife’s meatballs.
— Brandon Zenner (@KWCHBrandon) January 23, 2020
He also said Spags told him to relax, that’s his wife. 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/IeUiXFhhXm
From there, Jones has requested more meatballs from the Spags household year after year. Here you can see it again from the 2021 postseason.
Chris Jones says he asked Spaggs about his wife's meatballs today.
— McKenzie Nelson (@McKenzieMNelson) February 4, 2021
Last year meatballs were prepared before the Super Bowl for Jones.. he says he's superstitious.. and wants the meatballs once again.. #SuperBowl #ChiefsKingdom
Jones joked that one of the biggest reasons he came back to Kansas City was because of these famous meatballs. Fortunately for Jones, the meatballs are en route to him here in 2024, according to NFL reporter James Palmer.
BREAKING: Steve Spagnuolo has received video evidence from his wife Maria of her meatballs sitting in a pot in the sauce and they are on their way to @StoneColdJones ahead of #SBLVIII
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) February 7, 2024
Back in 2020, Rustin Dodd of The Athletic wrote about how the Chiefs defense bonded over the delicious meals.
"Two days before a victory over the Titans on Jan. 19, Jones was still nursing a calf injury. He had sat out the divisional round game against the Houston Texans and was not quite at full strength. But he had devoured a plate of special meatballs from Maria, and he managed to log 23 snaps in a 35-24 victory, contributing to a Chiefs pass rush that disrupted the Titans in the second half. “I think that’s what did it,” Jones said. “The meatballs had me feeling amazing.”"From Dodd's article
Chris Jones needs his meatballs and Steve Spagnuolo's wife has him covered
In an interview in 2021 before Super Bowl LV, Jones said, "I'm very superstitious. She made 'em last year. I was looking forward to 'em this year and he told me he told her 'it's okay' and I was telling him 'What about the motto that we live by? Team first, team last, and team always and you know that's a part of the team ritual."
Now, of course, Super Bowl LV didn't go according to plan but if this has been the tradition in the previous three Super Bowls, the Chiefs can't mess with tradition now. Get this man his meatballs please!