There are some athletes nobody wants to be compared to, and unfortunately for New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones, that’s the position he finds himself in after a video of his controversial slide from “Monday Night Football” gained more attention Wednesday.
The play(s) in question has been well-documented since the Week 7 contest at Gillette Stadium. Jones scrambled three times against the Bears, one eight-yard gain leading Jones to slide to the turf and raise his leg at a Chicago safety Jaquan Brisker, who then was clipped below the belt before he tumbled to the ground.
The play caught the attention of Peyton Manning during the ESPN’s “ManningCast” broadcast and the video clip on social media has since prompted reactions from Dallas Cowboys star defender Micah Parsons and other former players, one of whom called it “dirty.”
Another former NFL defender turned ESPN analyst, Marcus Spears, had the clip come across his timeline, as well. He gave Jones a label that no athlete in past decade has wanted to receive.
“The Grayson Allen of Football,” Spears tweeted Wednesday, accompanied by an emoji.
Oh no, not Grayson Allen!
For those who don’t know, Allen is a former Duke University basketball player who was widely recognized for being a dirty player in college. He’s kept that reputation during his five seasons in the NBA, too, now playing on the Milwaukee Bucks.
Given the two incidents which took place Monday night, Jones is gaining that reputation in a hurry. Especially after the Alabama product put himself on the “dirty” map last season after he grabbed and twisted the ankle of Carolina Panthers defender Brian Burns.
It certainly is a label Jones will want to shake off moving forward, as defenders might not take too kindly to his controversial plays for much longer.
