Tony Jefferson’s apology meltdown proves he still doesn’t get it

Tony Jefferson wasted little time in ruining his apology. Not that it was all that meaningful in the first place.

Jefferson, a hard-hitting safety for the Los Angeles Chargers, delivered two huge stops in his team's victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 15. Both were statement hits that caused physical harm to the pass catchers that he tackled—first, on wide receiver Rashee Rice, the second, on Tyquan Thornton.

While Rice was shaken up on the play, he was able to return to his role as a primary weapon in the Chiefs offense. Thornton was not so fortunate. Instead, he was placed in the league's concussion protocol, and after the game, head coach Andy Reid confirmed he had a head injury.

Jefferson's decision brought out an emotional response from Thornton's teammates, and a scrum ensued between players on both sides. Officials took another look at the play and decided to eject Jefferson for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Thornton. That led to Jefferson flipping off the raucous crowd at Arrowhead on his way back to the locker room.

Tony Jefferson's hollow apology is embarrassing for the Chargers following the team's win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 15.

Following the game, Jefferson offered up an apology and added, "I was caught up in the moment. I’m much more classier than that. Kind of just blacked out a little bit." Yet even within his own statement, Jefferson began to take back what he'd set forth in the first place, undermining any sort of sincerity within sentences.

"I haven’t seen the play," he added. "I don’t really play to be a dirty player, so I always feel like I try to put myself in position to make the plays and hits that are clean. So I have to take a look at it. I don’t necessarily think, personally, that it was that bad, but again, I’ll have to see it.”

As if Jefferson's own half-baked apology fooled anyone following the game, he was back on social media with messages for anyone who wanted to call him out.

Jefferson is not wrong. He is rich. He's made more than $34 million in career earnings in his 11 NFL seasons. That said, we have a feeling that Jefferson will be a little less rich after this week, and it's quite possible the Chargers will be forced to go without their safety for a game if a suspension comes with the ejection. That game check will likely sting a bit more than Jefferson is letting on.