For the first time since the incident, Carolina Panthers defensive end Brian Burns spoke publicly about Sunday’s controversial takedown by Mac Jones. And, as you could imagine, he’s not very happy.
The third-year pass rusher gave his account of the play, one where the New England Patriots quarterback grabbed and twisted Burns’ ankle following a sack. He told reporters on Wednesday that Jones actually grabbed his arm as well.
“After I sacked him, the ball came out. But as soon as I sacked him, he grabbed my arm, and my arm was trapped,” Burns recalled. “And then, once I got my arm freed, I tried to run. Obviously, he grabbed my ankle. And at that point, I just remember going down and my ankle’s hurt.”
Not to belabor the point, but you won't get a better look at the Mac Jones ankle twist than this one from NFL Films. You can clearly see the grab, the trip, and the roll. It's not great. pic.twitter.com/pBjUnqJ8Wc
— Phil Orban (@philorbanWSOC9) November 8, 2021
Burns was immediately rolling around in pain following the move. And while he did return to the field on the next series, he would take an early exit later on in the contest due to the sprain.
On Tuesday, Jones claimed he thought Burns had picked up the fumble on the strip-sack, leading to the grab. But Burns, rightfully so, isn’t buying that.
“Watching the replay, then watching all the angles and everything they got, I think it’s some bull,” Burns added. “I think it’s some bull for him to take his legs, because my main thing is that he took his legs and he swept the one leg I had up. I think it’s some bull.
“And his explanation for it, because he thought I had the ball, I don’t think you could think a person has the ball. As soon as I sacked you, you grabbed my arm. And then everybody ran past us. But even if you thought I had the ball, it’s not legal to trip somebody, or to leg sweep somebody, let alone twist ankles.”
On a lighter and more encouraging note, Burns—who did not participate in practice today—said he doesn’t see himself missing the upcoming Week 10 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. Hopefully for him, Kyler Murray won’t try to turn that game into a mixed martial arts bout if a sack were to occur.
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