The NFL will investigate a disturbing accusation from the New York Jets against the New England Patriots
The New York Jets fell short to the New England Patriots on Sunday, 15-10, but it’s what happened during the final quarter of the game that’s at the center of discussion.
The NFL is investigating an accusation from Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner that Patriots quarterback Mac Jones deliberately hit him in the groin after a play in the fourth quarter. Gardner posted the incident on his X (formerly Twitter) account to defend himself against repercussions for pushing Jones to the ground.
Posting this so I don’t get fined lol pic.twitter.com/2KjcAVTNsW
— SAUCE GARDNER (@iamSauceGardner) September 25, 2023
Jones was tackled by Jets linebacker C.J. Mosley after attempting a quarterback sneak. As the Patriots quarterback went to get back on his feet, he appeared to strike Gardner in a sensitive area—after which Gardner shoved the quarterback back to the ground.
“That’s probably the first time that ever happened to me,” said the Jets’ cornerback after the game. “[Mac] got tackled, and he reached his hand up to get me to help him up, and I just moved his hand out of the way. Then he got up and he just came up to me, like, ‘good job.’ But while he’s saying that, he hit me in my private parts.”
Gardner was in disbelief at the quarterback’s actions. “I don’t even know what to say,” continued Gardner. “Yeah, I gotta ice up. He’s trying to stop me from having kids in the future … he[‘s] tripping.”
Sauce Gardner on the Mac Jones hit #Jets #NFL #NFLTwitter pic.twitter.com/LmPEGBME7t
— Axceptional (@axceptionals) September 25, 2023
Jones, however, brushed off his encounter with the Jets’ cornerback when speaking to the media after the game.
“Just football. I think it’s a physical game and at that point in the game, you just have to fight to get the one yard,” Jones said. “I was just trying to get the first down. … A lot of guys on both teams are in there and it definitely can get pretty physical in there.”
This isn’t the first time that Jones has done such a thing, either.
In 2022, Jones appeared to kick Chicago Bears’ safety Jaquan Brisker in the same spot when sliding on a second down play. Brisker would have the last laugh, however, intercepting Jones on the following play.
Jaquan Brisker got kicked in the [REDACTED] by Mac Jones and then picked him off the next play. pic.twitter.com/k26fYRLYbA
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) October 25, 2022
Brisker believed Jones purposefully tried to kick him in the groin. He also thought that the Patriots quarterback should have been fined—at minimum.
“After looking back at it, the first slide he tried to trip me,” Brisker would later say. “The second time, he purposefully put his foot up. I mean if you stick your foot out there, I thought the first one was pretty dirty. Obviously, everybody has seen the second one. Pretty dirty. I think he should get fined. Or something needs to happen.”
Players such as Ndamukong Suh received fines in the past for such behavior. Whether or not the NFL fines Jones for his incident against the Jets remains to be seen. But at this point, it’s probably fair to say that Jones is a dirty football player.
