Overview
- Jones offered 22 seconds of encouragement instead of a question to first-year coach Liam Coen after Jacksonville’s playoff loss to Buffalo, drawing appreciative replies on video.
- The clip spread widely on social media, with praise from ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Pat McAfee and criticism from some reporters including ESPN’s Brooke Pryor.
- Associated Press reporter Mark Long posted a disparaging comment on X that was later deleted, underscoring how divided the reaction has been.
- Jones, a decades-long local reporter who once worked for the Jaguars in 1995, defended her credibility and said her remarks aimed to acknowledge the coach’s emotions.
- The Jacksonville Free Press began selling apparel featuring the exchange, stating all proceeds will fund scholarships and internships, and no credential or disciplinary changes have been reported.