SO SAD: Following the event, three players were suspended without pay.
The National Football League upheld Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Myles Garrett’s indefinite punishment for a violent altercation on the field with Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph last week.
Garrett reportedly accused Rudolph of provoking the conflict by using a racist slur during their on-field encounter on November 14, which Rudolph’s agency dismissed as “a lie.”
According to ESPN, Garrett told NFL officials during his appeals hearing that Rudolph uttered the slur during a brief exchange that became heated when Garrett used a helmet to assault Rudolph.
Following the event, three players were suspended without pay. Larry Ogunjobi, a Browns defensive lineman, will miss one game, and Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey was punished for three games and fined $35,096, which was lowered to two games on Thursday after an appeal. Garrett was given a “commissioner’s discipline” sanction, which included an indefinite suspension without pay.
Garrett’s suspension requires him to meet with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell before being reinstated to play, according to NFL spokesperson Michael Signora on Twitter.
Rudolph’s lawyer, Timothy M. Younger of Younger & Associates, denied the claims in a message posted on his Twitter account Thursday.
According to the release, Garrett “falsely asserted that Mason Rudolph uttered a racial slur toward him, prior to swinging a helmet at Mason’s uncovered head, in a desperate attempt to mitigate his suspension.” He referred to it as “a lie” that was never said following the game, prior to the hearing, or in the Browns’ apologies.
“The deliberate exploitation of this crazy and unsubstantiated allegation is a far bigger attack on Mason’s integrity than the physical assault on Thursday. This is dangerous and shameful. “We will have no further comment,” he stated.
Steelers spokesman Burt Lauten also defended Rudolph, claiming he “vehemently denies” using a racial epithet during the game and will not comment further.
Garrett’s agent, James Cook, was not
Garrett also argued against the duration of his punishment, citing a 2013 incident in which Houston Texans defensive lineman Antonio Smith pulled Miami Dolphins lineman Richie Incognito’s helmet and swung it at Incognito. Smith was suspended for four games.
Garrett’s appeal was handled by former NFL wide receiver James Thrash, an appeals officer hired by the NFL and the NFL Players Association to supervise on-field player disciplinary problems.
