CLEVELAND — The saga between Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph might not yet be over.
After Garrett alleged again that Rudolph used a racial slur just prior to a brawl that marred the Browns’ 21-7 victory over the Steelers at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland on November 14, Rudolph's representation is considering legal action.
“Garrett, after originally apologizing to Mason Rudolph, has made the ill-advised choice of publishing the belated and false accusation that Mr. Rudolph uttered a racial slur on the night in question,” Rudolph’s agent and attorney, Tim Younger, said. “Mr. Garrett claims that Mr. Rudolph uttered the slur simultaneously with being taken down, and before Mr. Garrett committed a battery by striking Mr. Rudolph on the head with a six-pound helmet. His claim is ludicrous.
“Although Mr. Rudolph had hoped to move forward, it is Mr. Garrett who has decided to utter this defamatory statement—in California. He is now exposed to legal liability.”
On Saturday morning, Rudolph took to Twitter to again proclaim his innocence.
Also, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin released a statement of support for Rudolph, who has now twice been accused by Garrett of using a racial slur. Initially, Garrett made the claim during his appeal hearing:
“I support Mason Rudolph not only because I know him, but also, because I was on that field immediately following the altercation with Myles Garrett, and subsequently, after the game. I interacted with a lot of people in the Cleveland Browns organization—players and coaches. If Mason said what Myles claimed, it would have come out during the many interactions I had with those in the Browns’ organization. In my conversations, I had a lot of expressions of sorrow for what transpired. I received no indication of anything racial or anything of that nature in those interactions.”
Garrett told ESPN’s Mina Kimes that Rudolph “called me the N-word. He called me ‘a stupid N-word.’”
“I still tried to let it go and still walk away, but once he came back, it kind of reignited the situation,” Garrett said. “And not only have you escalated things past what they needed to be with such little time in the game left, now you’re trying to re-engage and start a fight again.
“It’s definitely not entirely his fault. It’s definitely both parties doing something that we shouldn’t have been doing. I don’t say the N-word, whether it’s with ‘a’ [or] ‘er.’ To me personally, just shouldn’t be said, whether it’s by family, friends, anyone. I don’t want to use it because I don’t want [people to] find that appropriate around me for anyone to use.”
RELATED | Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett to ESPN: Mason Rudolph called me a 'stupid N-word'
The incident boiled over into a brawl when Garrett brought Rudolph to the ground after a third-down play with eight seconds remaining in the game.
Following the hit, Rudolph attempted to rip off Garrett’s helmet after delivering a couple of kicks below the belt of the Pro Bowl defensive end. Garrett responded by ripping off Rudolph’s helmet with several powerful tugs, and later, swinging it at and connecting to the quarterback’s head when the signal-caller pursued the matter further.
When Garrett ended up on the ground after getting tangled up with Steelers offensive lineman David DeCastro, center Maurkice Pouncey responded to the actions against his quarterback by delivering several kicks to the helmet and multiple punches to the Browns’ edge rusher.
It was then that Browns defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi escalated further the already volatile situation by pushing Rudolph from behind and to the ground, at which time, players left both benches and a scrum ensued in the end zone that took several minutes to get under control.
More than 30 players and both teams were fined for the brawl.
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