New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick is typically a man of few words, including when it comes to talking about his own players. He stayed true to his reputation during a press conference this week, declining to answer a reporter's question about whether quarterback Mac Jones is a "dirty player."
"Yeah, I'm not going to sit up here and comment on that," Belichick said. "I mean, we can go through the rest of the roster and ask the same questions, right? About different things about players and all that. So I'm not going to get into any of that."
The NFL reportedly fined the Patriots quarterback for a low block on Eli Apple last week. The Cincinnati Bengals cornerback was after Patriots receiver Tyquan Thornton before Jones dove in front of his legs, knocking him down. Jones said he wanted to stop Apple and help his team win, explaining that it was a "split-second decision" and he didn't mean to hurt anyone.
Apple did not see it the same way.
"He tripped me," Apple told reporters. "I thought it was a dirty play. He's done that before. I've seen it."
This is not the first time Jones has made headlines for a potentially dirty play. Last year, Carolina Panthers defensive end Brian Burns called out Jones for grabbing his ankle during their Week 9 matchup. Jones is once again in the spotlight for the wrong reasons, but as expected, his coach refused to add to the fire.
"Right now, my focus is on the Miami Dolphins. It's not on some other game, some other play, some other year, what somebody else said or didn't say," Belichick said. "We're trying to get ready for the Dolphins. Honestly, I don't even think about those things."
As a follow up question, Belichick was asked if he thought he would alienate Jones by not simply answering "yes or no" to the question of whether he considers him a dirty player.
"I have a good relationship with all the players," Belichick replied. "I talk to all the players. I talk to the team every day. I talk to the players individually on an as-needed basis or anything that's relevant. So I feel comfortable in my relationship with every player, every coach, every staff member if that's what you're asking."
The Patriots are preparing for a must-win Week 17 matchup against the Dolphins to keep their postseason hopes alive. The game is set for 1 p.m. ET Sunday at Gillette Stadium.
