Rob Ninkovich might not be on ESPN anymore, but the ex-New England Patriots defender still has his own platform. He put it to good use recently, blasting a former Patriots quarterback.
No, not Tom Brady. Not even Brian Hoyer or Bailey Zappe.
On The Dan and Ninko Show, Ninkovich aimed at Mac Jones. Now with the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he’s backing up Trevor Lawrence, Jones still draws the ire of those in the upper New England area, including those in the media who used to play for the Patriots.
When asked about the Patriots not playing Drake Maye right away because of New England’s issues upfront, Ninkovich argued that it’s just about as much mental as physical before going on a long-winded rant that saw him back up the bus and run over Jones a few times.
“Look at freaking Mac Jones down in Jacksonville right now. He’s griddying all over the place,” Ninkovich said sarcastically, as transcribed by the New York Post.
Ninkovich highlighted that Jones appears to be enjoying himself while competing against third-string players in training camp, prompting his co-host Dan O’Brien to remark, “he doesn’t like you.”
There’s some mutual level of distaste there, but Ninkovich took it a step further.
“I don’t give a f*ck,” Ninkovich said. “I’ll smack the sh*t out of f*cking Mac Jones. I don’t care. Do you care if somebody doesn’t like you?”
The Patriot Way.
Ninkovich doesn’t care that Jones doesn’t like him, but he made it increasingly clear that he doesn’t like Jones. He continued going after Jones by attacking the former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback’s demeanor and leadership skills before using it as an opportunity to praise Maye.
“I couldn’t listen to, ‘Yeah, you know, I’ve just got to keep working and got to get better and, um, you know, I’m just going to keep working hard, and we’re just … everybody together and um, yeah, it’s wasn’t my best and I’ve got to be better’ over and over and over and over again,” Ninkovich said.
“I’d rather listen to Drake Maye talk than, ‘Yeah, my modeling career didn’t work out, so, um, now I’m back down here in Jacksonville.'”
Ninkovich said he’s a nice guy in a bike club but needs more “nuts” or toughness, if you will, from his quarterback.
Suffice it to say, Mac Jones shouldn’t expect a Christmas card or a nutcracker from Ninkovich to come to his Jacksonville address this holiday season.
