Jets wide receiver David Clowney has written a new chapter in the growing book about players doing things they later regret on Twitter.
Clowney’s words had repercussions quickly. They got him planted on the bench by Jets coach Rex Ryan.
The offending tweet was pretty tame. After the Jets win over the Patriots, Clowney wrote: “1 play in the 1st Half, 4 plays in the 2nd half . . . A bit disappointed about my playing time but very happy and satisfied about the win.”
Ryan found out about the comments, and decided to bench Clowney completely for Sunday’s game against Tennessee.
“I was upset with him,” said Ryan. “No individual is bigger than the team.”
Ryan said he wanted to see how Clowney responded after telling him he was going to be benched, and Ryan was pleased with the receiver’s effort in practice last week.
The punishment is debatable, especially considering Clowney wrote soon after his offending Tweet, “My team always comes first so I’ma just keep grinding . . . And we gonna keep winning.”
But the story is just another example that players need to realize saying something on Twitter is the same as saying it to a reporter.
It’s also an example of how Ryan is putting his imprint on the Jets, even if it’s easier to make a statement while using a player who wasn’t contributing much in the first place.