Atlanta Falcons defensive end Calais Campbell has seen, and sacked, his share of quarterbacks in his 15-year career.
So Campbell felt comfortable confirming a theory floated by Patrick Mahomes on the new Netflix series Quarterback. The Kansas City Chiefs star said he thought defenders sometimes took it easy on him because he was nice to them.
Campbell told Falcons reporter Josh Kendall that there’s truth to that statement. But the six-time Pro Bowl player went on to say that there’s another quarterback who isn’t nice and respectful to defenders — New England Patriots QB Mac Jones.
“Philip Rivers was a good trash talker, but he was never disrespectful, Mac Jones actually, he was kind of disrespectful,” Campbell told Kendall. “I’m like, ‘Hold on, man.’ (It was) just trash talk to the highest level. It was like, ‘You don’t trash talk me.’”
Campbell, who played for the Baltimore Ravens last season, didn’t take it easy on Jones when the Ravens beat the Patriots in Week 3.
Last season, Calais Campbell was responsible for the week 3 injury to Mac Jones (hip drop tackle). https://t.co/sNqTPHxzGH
— Roll Pats! (@RollPats) March 13, 2023
Jones struggled in his second season in 2022, got benched, created strife in the locker room, and had a very tough year. The last thing he needs to be doing is trash-talking star defenders to give them even more incentive to knock him down.
