Mac Jones Denies Intentionally Hitting Sauce Gardner Below The Belt, Could Reportedly Still Be Fined

There weren't too many compelling moments during the New England Patriots' 15-10 win over the New York Jets on Sunday. In fact, maybe the most exciting play wasn't a play at all, but a sequence in which Mac Jones may or may not have hit Sauce Gardner below the belt.

The alleged incident took place after Jones was stopped on a run up the middle. Officials whistled the play dead as the Pats' QB was stopped in his tracks, but was eventually slammed into the turf. As Jones got back up, Gardner took offense to something and shoved him back to the ground.

After the game, Gardner claimed that Jones grabbed him in his "private parts" and joked that the QB was trying to stop him from having any kids.

“He had got tackled,” Gardner explained. “He reached his hand up to try to, like, get me to help him up. And I just moved his hand out of the way. Then, when he gets up (and) he just comes up to me like, ‘Good job.’ But while he’s said that, he hit me in my… in my private parts. You know what I’m saying?”

“My stomach hurting a little bit. I don’t even know what to say,” Gardner said. “I do gotta ice up. He’s trying to stop me from having kids in the future. He’s tripping.”

There is no replay that clearly shows what may or may not have taken place, therefore we have Gardner's word against Jones', and the Patriot is denying doing anything wrong.

“Sauce is one of the best corners in the NFL. I have a lot of respect for him. On that play, nothing was intentional. I just got up and went back to the huddle, and that’s it,” Jones explained.

It's hard to imagine why Jones would intentionally pull off a stunt like that, but it may be even harder to think why Gardner would make something like this up.

NFL insider Tom Pelissero has reported that Jones will not face any sort of ban for the alleged incident, but could still be fined in the days to come as the league reviews all plays.