Mac Jones not penalized for incident involving Sauce Gardner

The NFL will not fine New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones for allegedly hitting New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner, according to a recent report.

Gardner posted the video of the incident on his X account to make his case. However, upon analyzing the video, the league deemed the evidence insufficient to punish Jones, as reported by NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero on Saturday.

Sources also said the NFL would not penalize Gardner for shoving Jones after the game, which the cornerback argued was his response to Jones’ attack.

The incident occurred during the Week 3 game between the Patriots and Jets, which ended in a 15-10 victory for the former. During the fourth quarter, Jets linebacker C.J. Mosley tackled Jones and the two quarreled on the field. After the game, Gardner accused Jones of hitting him on his “private parts.”

“He got tackled, and he reached his hand up to get me to help him up, and I just moved his hand out of the way,” said Gardner then. “But then he got up and he just came up to me [saying], like, ‘Good job.’ But while he’s saying that, he hit me in my private parts.”

‘Nothing was intentional,’ says Jones

Jones has since responded to Gardner’s allegations, claiming that what happened was unintentional on his part. He also asserted that he respects Gardner as an athlete, saying he is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.

“I just got up and went back to the huddle, and that’s it. … It’s football. Just trying to get up and go back to the huddle. And like I just said, nothing there,” said Jones.

The recent incident is not the first allegation of misconduct for Jones. Former Patriots player Jermaine Wiggins said Jones is a “dirty player” for several actions he did in the past.

Last season, for instance, Chicago Bears safety Jaquan Brisker accused Jones of kicking him in the groin area. Baltimore Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen also said Jones had “crossed the line” with his trash talk when Baltimore and Detroit faced off in Week 3 of last season.

Jones has received criticism for his actions, including from former Patriots’ defensive coordinator Eric Mangini. Mangini said that while every team is looking to gain advantages, Jones’ actions are “not the type of business that’s being done” in the major league.