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Mac Jones has developed into a starting quarterback that Bill Belichick can improve and work with as he seeks yet another Super Bowl championship.
His competitive nature has been clear for all to see throughout his NFL career to this point, although the latest accusations suggest he may have gone over the line.
In a Patriots scrimmage that took place on Wednesday, Jones was accused of calling Brian Burns a "little b***h." This, allegedly, sparked a mass brawl involving players of both the Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots.
Now, Mac Jones has been accused of something, but what do we know? It’s been confirmed officially that the Patriots have spent much of this week practicing with the Panthers.
Evidence of this can be seen on the New England Patriots’ official website, with photographs being added to a section entitled ‘Photos: Day 2 of Patriots-Panthers Joint Practices’.
We also know for a fact that Mac Jones was indeed present and involved in the practice with the Carolina Panthers.
A video was uploaded to social media which showed the Patriots QB throwing a touchdown pass to Tyquan Thornton and it was dated August 17, the first day of the joint sessions.
Furthermore, in this video, there are clearly players in the uniform of the Carolina Panthers defending against the pass. This suggests beyond reasonable doubt that the video was indeed taken during these practice sessions.
Finally, there is also a similar video being posted on social media highlighting the fact that there was indeed a significant scuffle during the session.
Mac Jones and Brian Burns have history
Mac Jones has been seen as a rather inoffensive star in the NFL. As such, it may well have slipped under the radar that there is indeed history between Burns and the quarterback.
In the Week 9 matchup between the Patriots and the Panthers last season, tempers got the better of the 23-year-old and Brian Burns. The former even tried to injure the defender.
Mac Jones was caught on camera grabbing and twisting Burns' ankle. This forced a response from the quarterback ahead of the scrimmage sessions on Wednesday and Thursday.
“Yeah, I’ve talked with Brian,” Mac Jones declared. “We already made up at the Pro Bowl and everything is good. He’s a great player and I just love watching him on the field. Yeah, we’re definitely friends now.”
These are hardly the words of someone who is about to verbally abuse Brian Burns the very next time they get onto the field together.
The ‘source’ of the story is highly questionable
Mac Jones may not have been in the NFL very long, but he is acutely aware of the popularity of the league and what it makes hangers-on do for their own few seconds of fame, especially on the internet.
The source of these accusations is none other than a well-known ‘trolling’ Twitter account with the handle '@S_CharlesNFL'.
While portraying himself as a sports journalist with The Boston Globe and a New England Patriots beat writer, there are several things off about his profile.
Firstly, his bio states that he has a double PHD in ‘Journalism & Female Anatomy’. This is clearly not a legitimate double course at educational facilities, and is a rather crass attempt at a sexualised joke, something very popular with troll accounts in the sporting sphere.
Secondly, there are more outrageous claims that come from the very same Twitter account, even as recently as during the same practice session. This includes one which reported an even more lewd reason for the apparent brawl involving players of the Panthers and the Patriots.
There is also no record of a Simon Charles ever writing for the Boston Globes, let alone covering the Patriots. There are also many images of untrue claims attached to an Instagram account using the same display picture and handle '@scharlesnfl'.
No reputable sources are corroborating the suggestion that Mac Jones insulted Brian Burns in such a way. It very much looks like a desperate tweet for attention and likes in response to the aforementioned video of the scuffle which took place during Wednesday’s practice.
The cause of the fight has already been officially confirmed
Mac Jones was not involved in the cause of the brawl, which has now been officially confirmed by legitimate sources who were at the practice session.
Jones is an offensive player for the Patriots, and wasn’t even on the field when the situation broke down in such a dramatic way.
Phil Perry, a legitimate source for information on the Patriots for NBCS Boston, confirmed that the brawl was sparked by a hit on Christian McCaffrey, the Panthers' running back.
“Second fight broke out when Christian McCaffrey was tackled to the ground near the Carolina bench,” Perry posted on Twitter. McCaffrey popped up and fired the ball at the Patriots defense, melee ensued.”
This puts paid to all the claims of verbal abuse by Mac Jones and the case stands closed.
