Mac Jones met with the media yesterday and answered a variety of questions. One of the questions asked was regarding the notion around the NFL by some that he is a dirty player.

The allegation of Jones being a dirty player resurfaced after he went low on Bengals cornerback Eli Apple after he threw an interception. Jones didn’t need to go low but for whatever reason, he did. As a result of the play, Jones was fined $11,139 dollars by the NFL.

Last season Jones grabbed and twisted the leg of Carolina Panthers defensive end Brian Burns after he was hit and fumbled the ball. Burns ended up getting injured on the play.

When asked yesterday what he thinks about the perception that he is a dirty player, Jones was diplomatic. He gave a standard word salad response.

“I think obviously that’s a big part of it, is 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 continued. “Obviously, I have respect for everybody around the league. It takes a lot to get to this league. There’s really good players out there, and we’re all playing hard and trying to win. At the end of the day, you have to keep that in mind. It’s a game and you want to just have fun, enjoy it and compete against each other. “

Jones had the opportunity to dispel the notion but instead he gave some company answer that seemed disingenuous and dismissive of the question. Being called a dirty player is a serious claim. Apparently Jones doesn’t think he is one and he also doesn’t want to dispute the claim either.

Do I think Mac Jones is a dirty player? No. I think he is a competitor who lets his emotions get the best of him at times. We have witnessed his theatrical sometimes childish behavior all season long. He needs to reign his emotions in otherwise he will never be what he could be as a starting quarterback in the NFL.

If I were Jones, I would work on changing the perception that I am a dirty player. It is not a label you want attached to your name. There will come a day where he will throw an interception and get lit by someone making a block on the return. They’ll bury him in part because of this reputation he has developed.

It is ok to be highly competitive and play the game on the edge. As long as you are doing it the right way, no one will complain. It is when you start doing some of the things Jones has done that cross the line and ultimately lead to you being labeled a dirty player.

If Jones doesn’t want to be labeled a dirty player, then maybe he should just play the game and stop with the antics.