In the NFL, you can’t taunt, but you can grab a player’s ankle to prevent him from going after a loose ball.
So goes the logic in the NFL’s fines and lack thereof this week, as the league won’t be fining Patriots quarterback Mac Jones for the latter offense, per ESPN. Just yesterday, the NFL reportedly fined Cassius Marsh for the taunting penalty that controversially cost the Bears a game against Pittsburgh.
The incident with Jones occurred during last Sunday’s 24-6 Patriots win over Carolina. Near the end of the first quarter, defensive end Brian Burns strip-sacked Jones. The quarterback then grabbed Burns’ right ankle, holding on as he tried to pursue the ball. Burns had already been dealing with an ankle injury and missed an ensuing stretch of play, but there was no penalty on the field.
After the game, Carolina’s Haason Reddick called the play “egregious” and “completely dirty.”
“After I got hit pretty hard, I didn’t really know what was going on,” Jones said after the game. “It’s my job to try to make the tackle.”
That left Burns unhappy, saying he wanted an apology but the NFL could handle it however it wanted.
“I wish all my fellow D-end brothers happy hunting,” Burns said. “That’s all.”