PFT: NFL Reviewing Sauce Gardner's Allegation Mac Jones Intentionally Hit His Groin

After the New England Patriots beat the New York Jets on Sunday, 15-10, Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner accused Patriots quarterback Mac Jones of deliberately hitting him in the private parts after a quarterback sneak.

A source told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that the NFL is investigating Gardner's claim.

The play in question came in the fourth quarter during a quarterback sneak. Several Jets could be seen pushing back on Jones atop the scrum as he tried to gain more yardage. Jones then cleared himself of the scrum and bulldozed into a Jets player, who tossed him to the ground.

As he got up, he brushed up against Gardner briefly before the cornerback shoved him to the ground.

"He reached out to me to get me to help him up," Gardner told reporters. "I just moved his hand out of the way. He got up and then came up to me like, 'Good job.' While he was saying that, he hit me in my private parts. I didn't react like I really wanted to. I definitely wasn't expecting that. First time for everything I guess."

"He's trying to prevent me from having kids in the future," Gardner added, saying he need to ice the area after the game.

When Jones was asked if he felt he'd done anything wrong in his exchange with Gardner, he mostly avoided addressing the topic:

"Um, no. I think just trying to get the first down. Third-and-1 and then we came back on fourth-and-1 and then tried to fake it. So definitely a physical play. A lot of guys are in there. It's kind of the famous quarterback sneak that everybody does. All the guys on both teams are in there. So it can get pretty physical and that's something I have to learn from, is getting my pads a little lower so I can get it and not get held up."

Given that Jones has been accused of dirty plays multiple times in the past, however, it makes sense that the NFL is investigating Gardner's allegations.