Days after signing a contract that made him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history, Myles Garrett said he and the Cleveland Browns have “moved past” his infamous helmet-swinging incident from last season.
“My life’s much bigger than one moment,” Garrett said during a video conference call with members of the Cleveland media Thursday. “Me, the Browns and my teammates are going to look past that and go on to great success and that will just be a small bump in the road.”
Several Browns beat writers and other media posted videos and quotes from Garrett’s call, which was streamed live by the Browns’ official Twitter account.
Garrett was suspended for the remainder of the 2019 season after he ripped the helmet off of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph and struck him in the head with it in the waning moments of a November game between the teams in Cleveland last season.
#Browns Myles Garrett on putting the Mason Rudolph incident behind him pic.twitter.com/iQTZVNRAFx
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) July 16, 2020
Garrett’s NFL suspension was initially termed “indefinite” but he was reinstated by the league in February.
Garrett’s attack on Rudolph came after he’d driven Rudolph into the ground after Rudolph had thrown a screen pass on a play that began with 14 seconds to play and Cleveland leading 21-7. After the blow to Rudolph’s head, Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey ran to attack Garrett, landing punches. Pouncey was also ejected; he served a two-game suspension.
After the game, many of Garrett’s teammates admonished Garrett’s actions. Since it was a Thursday night game, the attention of the entire league was on the game. Garrett’s helmet swing dominated the sports news cycle the following day.
“That’s just life,” Garrett said Thursday. “You have one mistake and people are going to come after you. Mine just happened to be with millions of people watching. I’m going to keep playing my game and not worry about what people are going to say and do.”
Garrett said he and Rudolph have not spoken about the incident, which Garrett said “won’t happen again.” Garrett indicated he’d be OK with speaking with Rudolph, per a Cleveland.com transcript of the call.
Garrett was fined after the opener last season for a punch of Tennessee Titans tight end Delanie Walker. He also was fined a week later for a late hit that injured and ended the season of New York Jets quarterback Trevor Siemian.
Garrett insisted that is not part of a pattern for him.
“Opponents don’t see me as a dirty player,” he said. “I won’t be walking on eggshells. Landing on a quarterback happens. It’s part of the game.”’
A week after the helmet-swing incident and during his appeal hearing with the league, Garrett accused Rudolph of using a racial slur against him as the two scuffled after the late hit, indicating that ignited Garrett’s anger that led to the helmet swing.
The league later said it found “no such evidence” after an ensuing investigation. Garrett doubled down on the accusation during an interview with ESPN in February. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, two day later, defended Rudolph, saying he was “hacked off” at ESPN for its presentation of the accusation. Tomlin stood by Rudolph, who on Twitter called Garrett’s accusation “1000% false” and a “Bold-faced Lie.”
During the call Thursday, Garrett apparently was not asked about the slur accusation.
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