Jets punter Braden Mann laughs off fans angry about game-saving tackle

The New York Jets won their first game of the season against the Los Angeles Rams last Sunday, and rookie punter Braden Mann played a small but significant role when he tackled Rams returner Nsimba Webster in the fourth quarter. 

The Jets were leading 23-20 with less than six minutes left in the game, and Webster could have given the Rams the lead if not for Mann's tackle. Instead, the Jets were able to hold on for the win and keep themselves from a winless season, which would have earned them an infamous place in NFL history alongside the 2008 Detroit Lions and 2017 Cleveland Browns.

Usually, a player helping his team win gets celebrated by fans, but in the case of the Jets, some fans were angry at Mann because the team lost its hold on the top pick in the 2021 draft, which could mean that Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence ends up on the Jacksonville Jaguars instead. Mann did not seem overly concerned about the criticism, saying that it's his job to do whatever he can to help his team win.

"I couldn't care less about the social media reaction, to be honest with you," Mann said.

Mann admitted he "got a few messages" from angry fans but dismissed their anger, saying that it's not his job to worry about the Jets' draft position.

"But whoever says something like that, I don't think they ever tried to compete at something like this," Mann explained. "For us, we get paid to play. We get paid to win."