Getty New York Jets linebacker CJ Mosley staring off into the distance during a 2019 preseason game.
It’s all about respect and no one is respecting the New York Jets right now. Those were the words spewed forth by Pro Bowl linebacker C.J. Mosley after the Philadelphia Eagles embarrassed them 33-18.
The lop-sided loss was even more humiliating since the visiting team was openly mocking them in their home stadium and laughing at head coach Robert Saleh. According to Mosley, Eagles players refused to shake hands after the pre-game coin toss and Fletcher Cox went over to Saleh later in the game and laughed in his face as he was trying to get a play called. Philadelphia’s disrespectful behavior went on for all four quarters, per Mosley.
“It was all over the field, the coin toss, no hand shake, [Fletcher] Cox was laughing at Coach Saleh when he was fighting for us and trying to get a play called,” Mosley said. “So you see that stuff and you feel that stuff and as a competitor, as a warrior, when you’re fighting with your brothers, that pisses you off.”
#Jets LB CJ Mosley (@TreyDeuce32RTR) was HEATED after game & called out #Eagles for being disrespectful ‘not shaking hands at coin toss’ + said Fletcher Cox (@fcoxx_91) was ‘laughing’ at HC Robert Saleh for arguing w/ officials over bad calls he said that ‘pissed’ him off: 🤬👀
Mosley didn’t want to get into the specifics of when or why Cox acted the way he did. It just bothered him and sparked a fire under him that the narrative about the Jets’ franchise has to change.
“I’d rather not,” Mosley said when asked for more information about the Cox incident. “I saw something and it kind of got under my skin. But that just put me in a mindset that, at some point, we got to go change and take whatever’s on the field. It could have been anybody, it could have been a different team, it really doesn’t matter, we got to change the narrative.”
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Fletcher Cox Responds to Mosley’s Comments
Cox didn’t talk to the media on Sunday but he obviously got wind of Mosley’s comments and expressed his feelings on Instagram. The Pro Bowl defensive tackle posted a photo from the pre-game coin toss which shows him and Mosley embracing at midfield. Cox wrote: “Respect the game.. one thing fletch will always do!!!!!”
#Jets LB C.J. Mosley said the #Eagles showed disrespect today from the moment they didn’t shake hands at the coin toss and said Fletcher Cox was laughing at Robert Saleh during the game. Cox replied just now with this pic/caption on IG: t.co/VnC2pbS14m
Cox didn’t address the claim that he laughed at Saleh, though. Maybe a video or photo will surface. Or maybe it won’t. Either way, it seems out of character for Cox who had nothing but kind words to say about the Jets prior to kickoff.
“There might be some chirping from both sides beginning of the game knowing that we practiced against them [at training camp],” Cox said. “But at the end of the day you got to respect them. They’re coming off a big win. We’re coming off a tough loss. So it’s just going to be who wants it the most.”
Eagles Dominance Continues Over Jets
The Eagles are now 12-0 all-time against the Jets in a series that started back in 1973. The last four contests have been particularly rough for New York with Philadelphia winning by an average margin of 18.25 points. The two squads also play each other every year in the preseason and scrimmaged during training camp this year.
Some of those camp practices got a little heated this summer so it’s possible tensions were on edge. Mosley mentioned the recent failures of the Jets’ franchise factoring into an overall lack of respect.
“At the end of the day it’s all about respect and right now other teams are not respecting us,” Mosley said. “And that’s well deserved, whether it’s by our self-inflicted wounds or by the history of the Jets. But right now none of that matters. The past doesn’t matter, the guys that are here, the coaches that are here, we can affect the future, we can affect right now.”
✅ Gardner Minshew Wins 1st Eagles Start‼️
💥Minshew 20 of 25, 2 TDs, 0 INT
💥Minshew started 10-10, 2 TDs + PERFECT Rating
💥Eagles: 12-0 vs Jets (MOST wins vs ANY team in NFL history without loss)
💥Dallas Goedert career HIGH 2 TDs & 105 Rec. Yds