Quarterback Mac Jones likely won’t be suspended for allegedly hitting New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner in the groin during a skirmish in Sunday’s game.
Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Jones isn’t expected to face a suspension from the NFL for the alleged incident but he could still be fined.
The play occurred in the fourth quarter of the Patriots’ 15-10 win in Week 3. Jones was attempting to gain yards on a quarterback sneak when he ran into a scrum and got tossed to the ground by a Jets player.
When Jones got up, he brushed against Gardner when the Jets star defensive back shoved him to the ground. Asked about the situation after the game, Gardner said Jones hit him in the “private parts” after the play was over.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported on Monday that the NFL was investigating Gardner’s claim.
Jones denied intentionally hitting Gardner during an appearance on WEEI’s Jones and Mego, per Mike Kadlick of Audacy.com:
“Sauce is one of the best corners in the NFL. I have a lot of respect for him. On that play, nothing was intentional. I just got up and went back to the huddle, and that’s it.”
Jones has built something of a reputation in the NFL for playing dirty at times. There was an incident during his rookie season in 2021 when he held onto the ankle of Carolina Panthers defensive end Brian Burns after a strip-sack.
Haason Reddick, who was with the Panthers at the time, told reporters after the game he “definitely thought it was a dirty play.”
Jones was fined $23,976 last season when he was attempting to chase down a Cincinnati Bengals player after what was thought to be a fumble recovery—replay determined it to be an incomplete pass—when he cut off his angle and dove at the legs of Eli Apple.
Footage of the situation from Sunday isn’t clear about what exactly happened. Gardner doesn’t appear to be paying Jones much attention when the play stops, but when the Patriots quarterback brushes past him it prompted a response.
The officials didn’t throw a flag on either player for the incident. The league will typically announce fines for in-game infractions late in the week.
