Rudolph vs. Garrett
Image courtesy of USA Today
By GIANNA GALLAGHER ‘21
During the last ten seconds of the November 14th Steelers vs. Browns game, chaos broke loose between Steelers Quarterback Mason Rudolph and Browns Defensive End Myles Garrett. It began with Garrett, who tackled Rudolph long after the short window when Rudolph actually held the ball. After the dirty tackle, Garrett continued his attack by ripping off Rudolph’s helmet and hitting Rudolph in the head with it. This brawl quickly caught the attention of the NFL and all NFL fans.
Of course, Garrett’s actions could not go without punishment. According to the New England Sports Network (NESN), Myles Garrett faces an “indefinite suspension” for his violent actions towards opponent Mason Rudolph. This response upset Garrett so much, however, that he appealed, suggesting Rudolph had uttered a racial slur which sparked Garrett’s behavior. Garrett’s appeal introduced a new situation to investigate. NESN continues that the NFL upheld Garrett’s suspension with a statement that “no such evidence was found to back Garrett’s claim that Rudoplh initiated the fight with a racial slur.” Rudolph spoke out after hearing about Garrett’s accusation: “I couldn’t believe it, and I couldn’t believe that he would go that route after the fact.” A Slate article by Nick Greene titled “Myles Garrett Made it Easy for the NFL” suggests the NFL took this brawl between Garrett and Rudolph seriously when deciding the consequences. Greene emphasized this point, declaring, “let this be a lesson for anyone thinking about violating Rule 12, Section 2, Article 17 of the rulebook during a nationally televised game: the NFL will find you, and you will pay.” On November 15, 2019, Alabama Media Group published Garrett’s official punishment: he will not be allowed to play in the remaining games for the Cleveland Browns’ regular-season and in any postseason games for which the Browns might qualify. Garrett’s reinstatement is in question, but no final decision will be made until Garrett meets with the NFL Commissioner.
The commotion around Garrett and Rudolph’s fight has yet to cease. A CBS Sports article by John Breech labeled Garrett as Pittsburgh’s No. 1 public enemy after his behavior during the game. The Browns and Steelers met again this past Sunday, December 1. Previously, reports had surfaced that fans who wore Myles Garrett jerseys to the game could potentially face a ban from the stadium. The rumor stirred more chaos until Burt Lauten, Steelers Public Relations Director, cleared up the speculation by announcing that, despite their unpopularity, Garrett jerseys would be allowed inside the stadium.
Perhaps the controversy surrounding Garrett’s suspension weighed down the Browns’ performance; they fell 13 - 20 to the Steelers this past weekend. With a disappointing season record of 5 - 7, the Browns have all but lost hope of making the playoffs. Regardless, the recent conflict will surely resonate in the minds of fans as we head further into the season.