Along with wondering about his starting job, the NFL world is questioning a seemingly dirty play by Mac Jones on Monday night.
Before getting benched, the New England Patriots quarterback kicked his foot up while sliding. He hit Chicago Bears safety Jaquan Brisker in a sensitive area.
When watching the play unfold on ESPN’s ManningCast, Peyton Manning didn’t defend his fellow quarterback.
“D-linemen don’t like this. You can’t hit the quarterback, but yet, he can kick you right in the jewels,” Manning said, via SportsCenter‘s Twitter page. “That’s why D-linemen don’t like quarterbacks.”
Plenty of fans thought Jones intentionally targeted Brisker down low.
Others appreciated Manning’s honesty, which viewers don’t always hear on a traditional broadcast.
Eli Manning’s face on the freeze frame also says everything you need to know about Jones’ slide.
Brisker got the last laugh when recording his first career interception at Jones’ expense. The Patriots later pulled Jones for Bailey Zappe, who led the team to two straight touchdowns before the Bears pushed back with 23 consecutive points.
There’s no reason to slide the way naturally, so Jones eithe needs to get disciplined for the dirty play or work on his poor form.
That’s assuming he sees the field again soon. Bill Belichick hasn’t committed to a starting quarterback for Sunday’s game against the New York Jets.