The second-year quarterback for the New England Patriots, Mac Jones, was recently entitled a ‘dirty player’ on social media following an unorthodox tackle on Christmas eve. Following the game, the NFL slapped him with a hefty fine twice for executing rash plays and making unnecessary roughness against the Bengals cornerback Eli Apple.

The Patriots were in dire need of improving the season record and sustaining their playoff aspirations. Hence, it seemed like the quarterback’s desperation made him go beyond the rule book and trigger a controversial play during the fourth quarter. Despite the Patriots losing the game, the NFL fined Mac Jones more than $23k for two penalties in Week 16.

The first fine of $13,367 was slapped for his low block against Apple when the Bengals defender Germaine Pratt started running toward the end zone. The play happened with only six minutes remaining in the contest.

Initially, Jones chased the linebacker but realizing that he could reach him, the quarterback looked back and dove at Apple’s path, interrupting his progression toward the end zone.

This play spread like a wildfire on social media, with fans calling out the passer. Meanwhile, the recent fine validated the roughness, allowing fans to roast him more online.

Similarly, the second fine of $10,609 related to Rhamondre Stevenson’s lost fumble in the fourth quarter. Jones appeared to shove a Bengals player in the scrum attempting to recover the ball.

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Interestingly, this is the second time this season that Jones caught the spotlight for unsportsmanlike conduct. Back in the Bills match-up, he got fined $10,609 for inappropriate play against the defenders. Despite getting so much criticism, Jones remained unfazed and gave bizarre justifications.

Here’s how Mac Jones responded to people calling him a dirty player

Although the Alabama product struggled at the beginning of the 2022 season, Jones performed well in the later stages. His inaccuracies always remained a concern, and now the entitlement of “a dirty player” added more concerns to his reputation.

However, he remained unblemished when the reporters asked about his reaction to people calling him out. “Everybody has an opinion, and the biggest thing for me is focusing on being the best teammate I can be and earning the respect of the people in this building and the people I care about,” Jones said in the press conference, per ESPN.

“Obviously, I have respect for everybody around the league … we’re all playing hard and trying to win,” he added. Well, it’s yet to be seen how much all these mishaps turned out in his favor following a 23-21 win against the Dolphins.

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