Days after delivering a dirty shot to Sauce Gardner, Patriots’ QB Mac Jones escapes NFL fine

Mac Jones has yet to prove himself as the franchise quarterback of the New England Patriots. Though the signal-caller has failed to be in the limelight for his performance, he has indeed caught the attention of fans and analysts due to some controversial behavior on the field.

The Patriots, who once ruled the NFL under Tom Brady, are now struggling with a 1-2 record this season. Besides the Pats win-loss mark, their starter Jones’ recent ugly drama with the New York Jets star Sauce Gardner pushed him and the team as a whole toward a negative highlight. However, the QB somehow got relieved, as the NFL has decided not to add more troubles for him during the regular season.

NFL clears Patriots’ Mac Jones of fines

According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the NFL didn’t fine Jones for his actions in last week’s game against the Jets. Any disciplinary action would have required sufficient video evidence to support the accusation, although there wasn’t enough proof to blame the Patriots vet, and, hence, the decision came in his favor.

After the alleged cup-check between the Patriots quarterback and Jets cornerback, Big Apple’s young star was seen shoving his rival’s veteran on the turf. The NFL also didn’t fine Sauce for shoving Jones.

Meanwhile, it is not the first time for the Pats 25-year-old star to be embroiled in such embarrassment, as he was earlier labeled as a dirty player after getting involved in an ugly situation with the Carolina Panthers pass rusher Brian Burns back in 2021. He has also been fined $13,367 for his low hit on Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Eli Apple during the NFL’s Week 16 matchup last year.

Sauce Gardner accused Jones of unsportsmanlike conduct

The incident in question took place during the high-stakes matchup between the Jets and Patriots in Week 3. It was initiated by a heated moment between Gardner and Jones in the second half, when the quarterback was looking forward to getting a first down on a QB sneak.

However, the 23-year-old Jets star later offered the reason behind shoving Mac, saying he hit him in the private parts while saying ” Good Job”. He went on to say the unexpected incident made him numb for a while and he blamed the Pats signal-caller for preventing him from having children in the future by doing this disgusting act.

The incident didn’t catch the eyes of the authorities, and hence, no penalty was called on either side. Big Blue’s QB didn’t take any blame on his shoulders when asked about the incident. He instead mentioned it as a “famous quarterback sneak” while saying other athletes were present on the spot there to testify to it.

What’s your take on this incident? Do you think that Jones’ action toward Gardner was deliberate? Tell us in the comments.