Several people around the NFL have called Mac Jones a dirty player in recent days.
The New England Patriots quarterback received an $11,139 fine for a low block on Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Eli Apple last weekend. Apple called it “a dirty play” and said it’s not the first time Jones has done that.
Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay used the same label, and former NFL players Ryan Clark and Torrey Smith compared Jones to NBA player Grayson Allen.
Per MassLive’s Mark Daniels, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick didn’t defend his quarterback from those accusations.
“You’ll have to talk to those guys about that,” Belichick said.
Some coaches might have responded by defiantly supporting their player, but that’s not quite Belichick’s style.
However, not everyone followed suit. Per MassLive’s Chris Mason, captain Matthew Slater backed his teammate.
“I don’t see it as such in terms of him being a dirty player,” Slater said. “That’s not the person I know. It’s not the young man that I’ve gotten a chance to spend time around the last couple of years.”
Jones was also asked about the growing perception of him as a dirty player.
“Everybody has an opinion,” Jones said, via Mason. “The biggest thing for me is just: Focus on being the best teammate I can be and earning the respect of the people in this building and the people I care about.”
Now that some have slapped Jones with the scarlet letter, it’ll be difficult for him to erase the perception that he plays dirty. He’s probably more concerned about keeping New England’s playoff hopes alive when facing the Miami Dolphins this Sunday.