Jets WR Clowney calls benching by Ryan over complaints about playing time a ‘misunderstanding’

Jets WR Clowney: Benching was ‘misunderstanding’

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Maybe David Clowney should have retweeted his entire message to Rex Ryan.

The New York Jets wide receiver called his benching for complaining about playing time a “minor misunderstanding” because the coach didn’t see his entire comment on Twitter.

Clowney said Wednesday that someone passed along to Ryan only the first half of his tweet, which was in response to a friend asking why he didn’t see him on the field much during the Jets’ 16-9 win over New England in Week 2.

Clowney tweeted shortly after the win: “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.”

He added in a subsequent tweet that, “My team always comes first so I’ma just keep grinding.”

“Of course, he’s not on Twitter,” Clowney said of Ryan. “He’s not on anything for him to see that for himself, but our media personnel showed him what I actually wrote and showed him that I actually stated that my team comes first and I’m just going to keep working hard and we’re just going to keep winning.”

But Ryan said his decision last week to sit Clowney against Tennessee on Sunday was only partially fueled by the receiver’s tweet.

“I wouldn’t be doing this team the right thing,” Ryan said, “if I thought he was being selfish in the fact that maybe he wasn’t preparing like he should or he needed maybe a little kick in the pants or something. Then, that’s what we’re going to do. I’m not saying him, specifically, but I owe it to our team to get the best out of everybody.”

Clowney, who has no catches this season, said he was informed by Ryan a few days before the game that he’d be inactive.

“I wasn’t in the right direction,” Clowney said. “He even told me he felt I kind of slipped off a little bit in practice, which is fine.”

Clowney said he was only benched and not fined for his actions, and had “no clue” who went to Ryan with the tweets.

On Monday, Ryan said he wanted to see how Clowney responded, and said he was “outstanding” leading into the game against the Titans. Clowney said he and Ryan have no tension between them, and he fully expects to play at New Orleans on Sunday.

“He put his message across, I learned from it and he understood where I was coming from,” Clowney said. “I guess you could say he learned from it, too, as far as not getting the message and kind of going forth without getting the whole story. Like I said, we’re both good and we’re both moving forward and getting ready for the Saints.”