Tom Coughlin Backs Jalen Ramsey After Fight, Says He ‘Was Playing Football Within the Rules’

“Jalen was playing football within the rules,” Tom Coughlin said.

Jaguars executive Tom Coughlin commended cornerback Jalen Ramsey for his handling of Sunday’s scrap with Bengals receiver A.J. Green. 

“I want to voice my support for Jalen Ramsey following the incident in our game on Sunday,” Coughlin said in a statement Tuesday. “Our players are instructed to not retaliate or get involved or do anything that would result in eviction because that would hurt the team. Team comes first, and Jalen was trying to not hurt his team. While he did push his opponent — something that happened with other players during the game — he did not retaliate, he threw no punches, and he did not fight back. Jalen was doing what Coach [Doug] Marrone has instructed him to do, which is to play tough, be physical and to make every play difficult for his opponent. There was banter going back and forth during the game, but Jalen was playing football within the rules.”

In the final seconds of the first half, Ramsey shoved Green and Green retaliated by grabbing Ramsey by the neck from behind and wrestling him to the ground. Green proceeded to punch Ramsey in the helmet. The referee in the game, Brad Allen, said Ramsey was the instigator in the incident and pointed out that a player doesn’t have to throw a punch in order to be ejected for fighting. 

The NFL announced Monday that neither player would be suspended as a result of the fight, though NFL rules call for a fine of more than $30,000 for a first instance of fighting.