WATCH: ‘Dirty’ Play by Patriots Mac Jones Under Review by NFL

Patriots quarterback Mac Jones has developed a reputation as a dirty player in his short career. Now, his latest transgression is under review by the NFL.

During New England’s loss to the Bengals on Saturday, Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt scooped up what he thought was a fumble and raced toward the end zone for a touchdown. The play was ultimately ruled an incomplete pass. However, during the play, Mac Jones ran after Pratt. But instead of making a play on the ball carrier, he turned suddenly and dove at the feet of Cincinnati defender Eli Apple, who was also chasing the play.

According to Pro Football Talk, this play is currently under review by the league.

The most incriminating part of the play is that Jones is not making a play on the ball or on a player who has a chance of making a play on the ball. Both Apple and Jones are out of position. So why take a shot at a player’s knees like that? Risking serious injury? For what?

It may not be worthy of a suspension, but it is definitely dirty, and Jones needs to be – at least – given a fine and a stern warning.

It’s also not the first time Jones has been observed doing unsportsmanlike/dirty things on the football field. Last year, he reached up and pulled Carolina’s Brian Burns down by his ankle. Earlier this year, he kept his spikes up after sliding in a game against the Bears.

In a day and age where the league has gone to absurd lengths to protect the quarterback, it should never allow quarterbacks to take cheap and potentially dangerous shots at defenders who, for the most part, are trying to avoid them.

The play where Jones slid with his spikes up is particularly egregious. The slide is a way for quarterbacks to give themselves up without injury. Those defenders are simply trying to get out of the way and avoid Jones to not get a penalty. And what does Jones do? He intentionally leaves his spikes up and strikes Chicago’s Jaquan Brisker in the groin.

If Brisker had so much as breathed on Jones, he probably would have been flagged. But did Jones’ dangerous play draw a flag? Absolutely not.

That’s terrible. That’s probably also unlikely to change as far as penalties during a game. However, the league can now use its review process to address these issues, and they should.