The NFL reinstated Browns superstar Myles Garrett on Wednesday, bringing an end to his indefinite suspension that amounted to a six-game ban for his role in a violent incident in a Week 11 game against the Steelers. In an incredibly ugly scene, Garrett attacked Steelers quarterback Myles Rudolph with his helmet. Rudolph earned a $50,000 fine for his role, which was a controversial penalty.
In his appeal to the NFL over his suspension, it was reported that Garrett accused Rudolph of using a racial slur on the field, which escalated the conflict. The NFL found “no such evidence” in its investigation and upheld Garrett’s suspension, but Garrett is sure of what he heard that night.
In an interview with ESPN’s Mina Kimes that was released earlier this week, Garrett said that Rudolph called him a ‘stupid N-word’ during the incident.
Garrett: “He’s winding back to throw, I’m going to hit him in the strike zone. I’m not trying to do anything illegal. I go to take him down, he says some words as we’re going down.”
Kimes: “What did he say to you?”
Garrett: “I mean, he called me the N-word. He called me a stupid N-word. I don’t like… I don’t say the N-word, whether it’s with -a, -er. To me, personally, it just shouldn’t be said, whether it’s done by family, friends, anyone. I don’t want to use it because I don’t find that appropriate around me for anyone to use. So when he said it, it kind of sparked something – but I still tried to let it go and still walk away. Once he came back it kind of reignited the situation.”
Rudolph responded to Garrett’s statements on Saturday, and wrote on Twitter that Garrett was attempting to “assassinate” his character.
