Sean McVay didn’t have much patience for the idea that Alaric Jackson’s punch was anything less than a serious lapse.
After Jackson was suspended two games by the NFL on Tuesday for sucker punching Bills linebacker Bradley Chubb on Monday, the Rams coach made clear that the left tackle has to clean things up.
“It is very important to represent the things that we want to be about,” McVay told reporters. “He has to consistently do a better job.
I think each situation is its own separate entity. I think you want to be careful pigeonholing yourself into a one-size-fits-all.
The league made their decision. I want to understand the totality of the situation.
“I’m not condoning by any stretch of the imagination, but I want to gather all the information before I make comments. It certainly doesn’t help us when we’re missing a player of his caliber. He has to make more consistent decisions that are in alignment with being available and representing the things that we want to be about without a doubt.”
McVay said David Quesenberry will step in for Jackson during the suspension, and added that he believes Jackson will appeal the ruling. He also said he does not know what Chubb said to set off the punch.
The source of the exchange may matter if local authorities get involved. California has a “fighting words” law that bars certain comments that are “ inherently likely to provoke an immediate reaction.”
Still, the punch happened after the game had already ended, with several minutes gone by. Jackson’s pads were off, and he returned to the field for the conversation that preceded the altercation. On video, the incident is plain to see, which raises the question of why Jackson shouldn’t face battery charges if police choose to act.
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