Bill Belichick refuses to defend Mac Jones from 'dirty player' allegations in pregame press conference
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones was fined this week following a low tackle on Cincinatti Bengals' Eli Apple after a turnover on Christmas Eve. This wasn't the first time Jones was accused of such actions against opposing defensive players.
This week, as the New England Patriots gear up to take on the Miami Dolphins, head coach Bill Belichick was asked about his quarterback's actions. He was then asked by reporters if he believed Mac Jones was a "dirty player."
Bill Belichick had an interesting exchange with @_AndrewCallahan about the narrative of Mac Jones being a "dirty" player. https://t.co/dOA5ewhjfZ
Belichick didn't defend his second-year quarterback, but he also didn't deny the allegations. He said that he wasn't going to spend his time at the podium discussing the matter. He also said that he could go through his entire roster and discuss that about every one of his players. He concluded by saying that he wasn't going to get into that conversation about any of his players, including the quarterback.
“I’m not going to sit up here and comment about — we could go through the rest of our roster and ask the same questions. I’m not going to get into any of that.”
As reporters continued to pepper the longtime head coach with additional questions about the quarterback's incident, Belichick reiterated that he wouldn't be commenting about any incident. He also said that his sole focus, at the moment, was the upcoming game against the Miami Dolphins and not prior games this season or even last season.
“Right now, my focus is on the Miami Dolphins. It’s not on some other game, some other play, some other year, what somebody else said or didn’t say. I don’t think about those things.”
The longtime head coach's stance of neither confirmation nor denial has many people questioning whether he has a good relationship with his young quarterback.
What did QB Mac Jones do?
Not sure about this move from Mac Jones. https://t.co/NlXdkknko8
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones turned the ball during Saturday's matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. As the ball was being returned by Germaine Pratt, the Patriots quarterback threw a low hit into cornerback Eli Apple's knees. Apple didn't have the ball, and both players were, at least, five yards away from Pratt, who was making the return.
The move was uncalled for as it wouldn't have made a difference in the outcome of the play. Jones was fined $11,139 for the hit, but this isn't the first time that he has been accused of such actions.
Earlier this year, he kicked Chicago Bears defensive back Jaquan Brisker in the upper leg. Last year, he was seen twisting and subsequently injuring, Carolina Panthers pass rusher Brian Burns' ankle.