Myles Garrett’s suspension for swinging a helmet at Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph is over.
The NFL reinstated the Cleveland Browns defensive end Wednesday, two days after Garrett met with commissioner Roger Goodell. The reinstatement allows Garrett to be around the team and participate in offseason workouts when the program begins in April.
Garrett tussled with Rudolph late in the Nov. 14 matchup between the Steelers and Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. Garrett ripped the helmet from Rudolph’s head and swung it at the quarterback, striking Rudolph on his unprotected head. The next day, Garrett was suspended indefinitely and missed the final six games of the season. Garrett later accused Rudolph of using a racial slur, which the quarterback vehemently denied.
“We welcome Myles back to our organization with open arms,” Browns general manager Andrew Berry said in a statement. “We know he is grateful to be reinstated, eager to put the past behind him and continue to evolve and grow as a leader. We look forward to having his strong positive presence back as a teammate, player and person in our community.”
Garrett did not release a statement, but he posted a meme on his Twitter account of a scene from the film “John Wick” with the subtitle: “But now yeah, I’M THINKING I’M BACK!!!”
— Myles "Flash" Garrett ⚡️ (@MylesLGarrett) February 12, 2020
Garrett paid dearly for his misstep. He was fined $45,623 and lost $1.14 million in game checks. His reputation also took a shot, and he will have to watch his behavior going forward as another violent incident could result in even harsher discipline by the league.
Garrett’s suspension is the longest for a single behavior in league history. Tennessee’s Albert Haynesworth was suspended five games for stomping on a player’s helmet-less head in 2006.
The $50,000 that Rudolph was fined for his role in the fight remains under appeal.
Associated Press contributed.
