Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin named Devlin "Duck" Hodges his starting quarterback for Sunday's rematch with the Browns at Heinz Field.
The move comes after recent starter Mason Rudolph was benched in the second half against the Cincinnati Bengals in a 16-10 win by the Steelers. Rudolph is near the bottom of the NFL's quarterback ratings, but the move also could take some of the heat off the game given the melee in the Browns' 21-7 victory almost two weeks ago.
Rudolph and Browns defensive end Myles Garrett got into a fight that consumed the game's final seconds and eventually led to Garrett being suspended indefinitely by the league, a punishment held up on appeal. Rudolph, who was intercepted four times and generally harassed all night, could be seen on tape attempting to remove Garrett's helmet.
Garrett, in retaliation, successfully pulled Rudolph's helmet off and when Steelers teammates attempted to de-escalate the situation, Rudolph charged at the Browns lineman, who hit him with the helmet.
In his appeal hearing, Garrett accused Rudolph of dropping a racial slur at him, a claim the league could not substantiate and was denied by Rudolph.
By starting Hodges, who has completed 27 of 40 passes for 318 yards, two TDs and an interception, a potential powder keg may have been diffused, given the melee in the first game generated suspensions for Garrett, teammate Larry Ogunjobi and Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey and fines for both teams totaling $809,628.
