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It sure seemed like Jack Jones was channeling his inner Grinch after he thrust the football away from a young fan in the stands following a touchdown on Christmas, but the Raiders cornerback claims the viral clip was really a misunderstanding.
The Chiefs were favored to win their game against the Raiders on December 25th by more than a touchdown, but Las Vegas ruined Christmas in Kansas City by walking away with the 20-14 victory.
It was a pretty frustrating day for Patrick Mahomes and the rest of his offense, but the Raiders defense was easily the biggest factor in the game.
The wheels started to come off in the first quarter after Isiah Pacheco coughed up a fumble that was recovered by Bilal Nichols, who scooped it up and took it into the end zone to give Las Vegas the 9-7 lead.
Things didn’t get much better on the ensuing drive, as Jack Jones picked off Mahomes on the first play after the kickoff before taking it back to the house. After crossing the goal line, he walked over to the stands and offered the ball to a young Chiefs fan in the front row only to quickly pull it back in a move most people interpreted as a purposeful troll.
Jones only added fuel to the fire after the game when he hopped on Instagram and posted a picture of him running the ball back with a picture of Jim Carrey’s eponymous character in The Grinch Photoshopped over his head. However, he eventually returned to social media to clarify things.
On Monday night, Jones responded to a tweet posted by someone who criticized him for snatching a TD ball away from a kid by claiming he actually took it back to prevent a grown man in the vicinity from claiming it for himself.
I didn’t snatch that ball from the kid it was from that blac dude who tried to take it watch it again lollipop https://t.co/SNkD0lk08d
— Jack Jones🏄🏽♂️ (@presidentjacc) December 26, 2023
After rewatching the clip, it does seem like Jones is telling the truth, but part of me wishes he’d simply leaned into his role as the villain.