McAdoo on suspensions: ‘It’s my responsibility to take action’
EAST RUTHERFORD » In Ben McAdoo’s mind, the Giants’ off-field discipline problems are “isolated incidents,” players are still “flying around” and having spirited practices, and life in East Rutherford is being “blown out of proportion” because of a 1-6 start.
In other words, don’t ask the head coach what he thinks of the perception he is losing the locker room following the second player suspension in three weeks for violation of team rules.
“I’m not concerned about perception. I’m concerned about reality,” McAdoo said Wednesday, repeating a line he said on Oct. 11 after announcing cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie’s suspension. “To turn your cheek to something that needs to be handled for disciplinary reasons because you’re worried about perception isn’t a smart thing to do. So I’m not concerned about perception.”
The Giants had to suspend another All-Pro cornerback Tuesday when Janoris Jenkins not only did not report back to team facilities on time Monday after the bye week, but failed to alert the coaching staff of his whereabouts until Tuesday morning.
Originally, McAdoo told reporters Monday that Jenkins, cornerback Eli Apple and running back Paul Perkins were all excused from practice for personal reasons.
On Wednesday, McAdoo explained why Jenkins was excused without actually having communicated with the 29-yearold veteran until the next morning.
“Until I had all the information, I was going to err on the high side of trusting the player, protecting the player,” McAdoo said. “Until I have all the facts, I need to protect the players.”
Apple and Perkins both had travel-related issues and were not suspended because they communicated with the team prior to arriving late, McAdoo said. But both indicated Wednesday that they will face some lesser form of discipline.
During Wednesday morning’s team meeting, McAdoo told the players that there were “no excuses” for not reporting back on time Monday after having five days off.
“The standards are the standards,” McAdoo said. “The win-loss record doesn’t change it. Your feelings don’t change it. Travel plans don’t change it. The standards are the standards, and they’re going to stay high and we’re going to hold each other accountable.”
As with RodgersCromartie’s suspension three weeks ago, players understood Jenkins’ suspension. Both Apple and strong safety Landon Collins said McAdoo still has the respect of the entire team.
“I mean, it happens,” quarterback Eli Manning said. “We got to handle our business. We got to make sure we’re doing things right. I think everybody knows the reasoning for why they’re occurring and we got to, obviously, go about our business and then when guys come back, you don’t think about it and you keep going.”
Linebacker Jonathan Casillas, a defensive captain, did not defend Jenkins’ actions but said late arrivals happen all across the league, including in New England during his time with the Patriots in 2014. But many of those instances never surface publicly, Casillas said.
“His consequence is a suspension. I don’t like it. I want him here,” Casillas said. “But at the end of the day he did break a team rule. It’s not like he didn’t do anything or that he was late . ... It was kind of inexcusable. Whether I support Ben McAdoo or not he’s the head coach. He’s doing what he thinks is best for the team.”
Jenkins is suspended indefinitely, McAdoo said. The team will revisit his status after Sunday’s home game against the Los Angeles Rams. Jenkins will lose $758,824 for each week he misses.
As for the idea that two suspensions in three weeks are a sign of disrespect toward him, McAdoo insisted the issues need to be examined on a case-by-case basis and that “you can’t take things personally in this business.”
“That’s not something that going into the season I’d ever thought I’d have to do. But the decision was made and it had to be done,” McAdoo said. “It’s my responsibility to take action, and when you have discipline that needs to be taken care of, you have to handle it. If you don’t handle it, that’s a poor reflection. I think for the best of the program, the decision had to be made.”