Jets star calls Mac Jones out after testy exchange

Sunday’s game between the New England Patriots and New York Jets featured some physical play and after-the-whistle contact. One of those exchanges came between New England’s quarterback, Mac Jones and New York cornerback Sauce Gardner. So, what happened?

The story is nuts, according to Gardner anyway.

Jones was thrown to the ground by Jets linebacker, C.J. Mosley. As he returned to his feet, Jones was shoved back to the ground by Gardner. So, what happened? Gardner elaborated after the game.

“He had got tackled,” Gardner said, per Rich Cimini, ESPN. “He reached his hand up to try to, like, get me to help him up. And I just moved his hand out of the way. Then, when he gets up [and] he just comes up to me like, ‘Good job.’ But while he said that … he hit me in my private parts. You know what I’m saying?”

Replay does show that Jones’ hands were in that general area.

This video surfaced earlier of Sauce Gardner shoving #Patriots QB Mac Jones after the play…

If Mac Jones did indeed hit Sauce Gardner in his “private parts” then this reaction makes sense.pic.twitter.com/zY5kD1FJDO

— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) September 24, 2023

Cimini added that Jones “said the area where he made contact with Gardner was unintentional.”

“Man, my stomach hurt a little bit, you know what I mean?” Gardner said, per Cimini. “I don’t even know what to say. I do got to ice up. He’s trying to keep me from having kids in the future. He’s trippin’.”

The Patriots and Jets will finish their regular seasons against each other with a Week 18 matchup in New England. That game now has a brand new level of intrigue to it.

[ESPN.com, JPA Football]