Ex-Patriots 2-Time Champ Repeats Threat to ‘Slap the Heck’ Out of Mac Jones

Getty Patriots former LB and DE Rob Ninkovich (left) and QB Mac Jones

In case you were wondering how former Patriots star Rob Ninokovich feels about quarterback Mac Jones, who was traded by New England after a miserable showing last season, let’s make it clear: He’s not a fan.

A day after Ninkovich claimed he would, “smack the (expletive) out of (expletive) Mac Jones,” he appeared on “The Rich Shertenlieb Show” on the radio station WZLX in Boston, and was asked about his animosity toward Jones—who, according to Dan O’Brien, Ninkovich’s co-host on the “Dan and Ninko” podcast, does not much like O’Brien and Ninkovich.

“I don’t know personally if he does or if he doesn’t. I have no idea,” Ninkovich said, via NESN.com. “I’ve always been critical of anybody. If I’m watching football and I see bad football or I see antics that I don’t agree with, I’m gonna say something about it. He’s (O’Brien) like, ‘He doesn’t like you.’ I’m like, ‘I don’t care.’ Honestly.

“Can I ask you a question? I’m a 40-year-old man. I’m an adult. If somebody like me, I don’t care. I have a family and my children. They love me. If you don’t like me, I don’t give a — I don’t care.”

Patriots’ Rob Ninkovich Blunt in Criticism

Ninkovich, like many former Patriots, did not care for the antics of Jones during the 2022 season, his second as the Patriots’ quarterback, when Jones was frequently seen yelling his frustration at coaches and teammates. Still, Ninkovich did defend Jones at times, though he also advocated for the Patriots dumping Jones and pursuing Lamar Jackson in March 2023.

Ninkovich played defensive end and linebacker at 6-foot-2 and 260 pounds. He’s an 11-year NFL veteran who spent eight seasons in New England. He won Super Bowl rings in 2014 and 2016.

And he did not back off his desire to give Jones at least one slap.

“My dad, we call him ‘Captain Insano.’ If there’s ever an issue, you never punch anybody. That’s bad,” Ninkovich said. “You can slap the heck out of somebody. It’s not damaging. It doesn’t hurt them. They don’t get knocked out. It’s just embarrassing, right? … I’ll give you five fingers and you’ll just feel a rosacea all over your face you’ve never experienced before in your life. And it’ll be a nice slap, and it’ll wake you up.”

Mac Jones Struggled Each Year in the NFL

Jones was the Patriots’ first-round pick, No. 15 overall, in 2021.  He played well his rookie year, earning a Pro Bowl spot with 3,801 yards passing, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, posting a quarterback rating of 92.5 and finishing as the runner up in the Offensive Rookie of the Year voting.

Jones went quickly downhill from there, though, as the Patriots changed offensive coordinators from Josh McDaniels to Matt Patricia in 2022 and then to Bill O’Brien in 2023.

After the 2022 season, Ninkovich did not blame Jones.

“I think Mac Jones is a good quarterback. I really do,” Ninkovich said on the ESPN program “Get Up!” “I think his rookie season, he did a great job in a really tough situation with Josh McDaniels as his OC – which is a really advanced offense. So, he has an advanced offense his rookie season and he does really well, probably the best rookie in the draft class. His second year, he regresses.

“I’m not putting that on Mac Jones.”

Last year, of course, Jones devolved into a shell of his rookie self. He was benched as the Patriots went on to finish 4-13. Jones was traded to the Jaguars in the winter.