LOOK: Jamal Adams calls NFL a 'damn joke' after his fine for hit on Baker Mayfield
Jets safety Jamal Adams had some extremely harsh words for the NFL after getting fined $21,000 for a late hit on Baker Mayfield in a 23-3 Monday Night Football loss against the visiting Browns.
On the fined play, Adams was penalized with roughing the passer on third-and-8 with the Browns at midfield midway through the first quarter. After Adams' penalty, the Browns scored a field goal to extend their lead to 6-0.
“This league is a damn joke!” Adams said on Twitter. “I just got fined $21k for this hit, I signed up to play football not two hand touch. [Bulls–t!] I don’t give a damn about these soft rules protecting QBs. Im gonna play MY brand of football everytime I step on the field. SMH [shaking my head].”
Jets coach Adam Gase removed Adams from the game in the fourth quarter after he made back-to-back penalties (offsides and encroachment). Adams claims he was benched.
Gase's side of the story is that he was exercising precautionary measures.
“I thought he was getting fired up pretty good. I said, ‘Hey, we need to be careful here.’ I was worried something bad was going to happen," Gase said prior to practice on Wednesday. "We needed him for the next week. They were smart and they pulled him off. I said, 'Just calm him down,' and then we were off the field."
Gase reiterated his decision wasn't related to Adams' performance.
"To me, I didn't look at that as benching," Gase said. "That was more like, 'Hey, let's just calm him down.' There was no hidden meaning behind it. That was my gut reaction."
The Jets (0-2) travel to face the Patriots (2-0) on Sunday (1 p.m. ET).
