The Kansas City Chiefs kicked off Thanksgiving 2025 with a playful post on X, featuring players gathered around a holiday dinner table and the caption “Everybody Gotta Eat.”
Originally the phrase was meant to highlight a team focus that thrived on working together rather than individual achievements, the phrase now has a festive theme as the Thanksgiving season approaches.
This year, as Kansas City prepares for a highstakes Thanksgiving game, the phrase “E.G.E.” is serving as a unifying banner, a message of shared purpose for a roster that includes stars like Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and newer skillposition threats.
On Tuesday, the 35th annual Third and Long Foundation, cofounded by former Chiefs greats Derrick Thomas and Neil Smith, staged its traditional Thanksgiving food drive at Arrowhead Stadium, feeding roughly 1,500 families.
Volunteers packed bags of vegetables, bread, and stuffing, then handed out turkeys and eggs to ensure families could enjoy a full holiday meal.
Smith, standing among volunteers, stressed the importance of consistency. “What we do around this time every year is come back and give back to our community,” he said.
“With the help of the Kansas City Chiefs and the platform that Derrick Thomas and I had with our foundation, we come together once a year to do this for a great cause.”
What “Everybody’s Gotta Eat” looks like in practice
The Chiefs have a long history of holiday outreach. As far back as 1992, the organization, often working with the Third and Long Foundation, has distributed food baskets containing turkeys, canned goods, bread, potatoes, and eggs to families in need.
Over the decades, tens of thousands of households have benefited.
Earlier this month, Chiefs lineman Trey Smith teamed with local group Giving Hope KC to hand out more than 400 Thanksgiving meals to families in Kansas City, Kansas.
“Anytime I can give back to KC, you know this community has given so much to me. I want to do it,” Smith said.
Meanwhile, defensive tackle Chris Jones spent time at the Kansas City Dream Center distributing turkeys and holiday meal essentials to nearly 200 families.
For Jones, interacting with community members and seeing their gratitude firsthand is what makes the effort worthwhile.
Chiefs prepare for their Thanksgiving game against the Cowboys
The Chiefs head into their crucial Week 13 showdown against the Dallas Cowboys, a rare Thursday matchup steeped in tradition.
The Chiefs (6-5) arrive off an overtime win against the Indianapolis Colts, a result that restored some confidence but also left key players banged up.
Meanwhile, Dallas (5-5-1) is trying to build off a dramatic comeback win last week and remind the league why Thanksgiving games still carry weight.
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