Mac Jones on Sauce Gardner incident: "Nothing was intentional"
FOXBORO -- Mac Jones is defending himself after Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner accused the Patriots quarterback of hitting him in his "private parts" during Sunday's 15-10 New England victory at MetLife Stadium.
Jones isn't denying that some contact was made as he walked away from a scrum following a failed QB sneak, but he's saying that the contact was not "intentional."
"Sauce is one of the best corners in the NFL. I have a lot of respect for him. On that play, nothing was intentional," Jones told WEEI's Jones & Mego Show on Monday afternoon. "I just got up and went back to the huddle and that's it."
Asked to expand on whether or not he inadvertently hit Garner, Jones was ready to move on.
"It's football, so just trying to get up and go back to the huddle, like I just said," said Jones. "Nothing there."
Gardner tweeted out a video of the incident Monday afternoon with the caption, "Posting this so I don't get fined lol," but it wasn't very clear if any contact was made. The Athletic's Dianna Russini shared another angle that she received from a league source that doesn't require people to squint their eyes and use their imagination to see Jones making contact with Gardner.
Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio reported Monday morning that the NFL is looking into the incident. But the league's investigation isn't expected to lead to a suspenion for Jones, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
#Patriots QB Mac Jones isn't expected to be suspended for allegedly cup-checking #Jets CB Sauce Gardner in Sunday's game.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 26, 2023
Jones said Monday nothing was intentional. The NFL reviews all plays and it's possible, though not certain, that Jones could be fined.
This is not the first time that Jones has drawn the ire of an opposing player for some questionable antics. Last season, he was fined for delivering a low hit on Bengals corner Eli Apple, and was also accused by Chicago Bears safety Jaquan Brisker of making some dirty slides in a Week 7 matchup at Gillette Stadium. In Jones' rookie season, Carolina's Brian Burns had beef with Jones after the QB grabbed his ankle after the defensive end forced a fumble on a sack.
Jones was asked about his growing reputation on Monday, but claimed any outside talk is out of his control.
"I can't control that stuff. I try to be really competitive and go out there, be a really good teammate, compete and come to work every day," he said. "I definitely care about football a lot and this game means a lot to me and means a lot to the other guys I play with. I hope that they can see that."
Jones could be facing another fine for Sunday's incident. At some point, this reputation of his will likely catch up to him on the field.