CLEVELAND — Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin released a statement Saturday defending his quarterback, Mason Rudolph, after Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett again accused the signal-caller of using a racial slur in an incident that tipped off a brawl between the teams last November.
And Tomlin did not stop there, as he continued his defense in an appearance on ESPN Monday, days after the network aired an interview with Garrett, where he told reporter Mina Kimes that Rudolph uttered a slur while the two tussled on the ground in the final seconds of the Browns’ 21-7 win on Thursday Night Football.
“These accusations are serious,” Tomlin said. “Not only in terms of Mason Rudolph’s character, but his professional pursuits . . . It’s been a lot of negativity around Mason Rudolph. He got fined $50,000 for essentially getting beat up. His reputation was tarnished for the allegations.”
In addition to addressing the accusations, Tomlin was critical of ESPN for following the interview with a panel discussion that turned into a “he said, he said” debate without any mention of the NFL’s investigation into the manner that yielded no substantial evidence against Rudolph.
“As we said at the time the allegation was made, we looked into the matter and found no such evidence,” NFL V.P. of communications Brian McCarthy told ProFootballTalk.com over the weekend. “There was no sound recorded from the field during that game. As with every game, there were microphones on the center or interior linemen that help amplify the ambient sound as the quarterbacks were calling signals at the line of scrimmage, but they do not record sound. Microphones are opened from the break of the huddle (or when the center places his hand on the ball in a no-huddle offense) through the snap of the ball.”
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 head when the quarterback 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’s definitely not entirely his fault,” Garrett said in the ESPN interview. “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.”
On Saturday, Tim Younger, Rudolph’s agent and attorney, hinted on Twitter that their team is considering legal action against Garrett.
“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,” 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.”