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Mac Jones caught heat this week after a replay showed a potentially dirty play made in a game versus the Bengals. That play has now come under scrutiny, but the Patriots passer is defending his actions.
On the play, Jones is seen going low at Cincinnati defender Eli Apple after the Bengals recovered a New England fumble. Linebacker Germaine Pratt returned the turnover down the sidelines, and while Jones had no shot at make a play on the ball, he opted to swipe at the knees of an unsuspecting Apple.
The play immediately went viral on social media with fans calling out Jones for his questionable tactics.
It’s not the first time the signal caller’s received criticism for his actions on the football field. Earlier this year, he was seen purposely kicking a defender in the groin after sliding to the ground on a quarterback scramble. He received instant karma as he threw an interception to that same player later in the drive.
This latest incident has him looking like the Grayson Allen of the NFL, and it landed the QB a fine from the league earlier Tuesday morning. Despite the $11,139 penalty, Mac Jones continues to defend his actions.
Here’s what he had to say about the low block after the game.
“Kind of went down in front of him, trying to stop a fast guy from getting to another fast guy. It’s a split-second decision. I get hit a lot, too.”
He’s expectedly getting trashed by fans online.
One person wrote, “Mac Jones is a dirty player and he knows it,” while another commented, “It’s wild trying to justify cutting someone at the knees who isn’t carrying the ball while you’re playing defense.”
Apple wasn’t injured on the play, but he did take an unnecessary shot to the knees. As his handful of incidents grow, Mac Jones’s image continues to get muddied.