Steelers' Mason Rudolph, Mike Tomlin fire back at Myles Garrett

Myles Garrett’s renewed accusation that Mason Rudolph used a racial slur during a game last November was met by strong rebuttals Saturday from the quarterback, his representative and Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin.

Garrett initially made the allegations in November — a week after the incident took place — while appealing the indefinite suspension he received for hitting Rudolph on his unprotected head with the quarterback’s helmet. Garrett doubled down on his statements Thursday in excerpts of an interview with ESPN that aired after he was reinstated by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

The entire interview was played Saturday morning on ESPN’s “Outside the Lines.”

After the segment aired, Rudolph, his agent and lawyer Timothy Younger, and Tomlin offered swift and stern rebuttals.

Rudolph on Twitter wrote that Garrett’s claims are “1,000% False” and a “Bold-Faced Lie.”

“I did not, have not, and would not utter a racial-slur,” Rudolph wrote. “This is a disgusting and reckless attempt to assassinate my character.”

1000% False.

Bold-Faced Lie.

I did not, have not, and would not utter a racial-slur.

This is a disgusting and reckless attempt to assassinate my character. https://t.co/mZcEcC0tCl

— Mason Rudolph (@Rudolph2Mason) February 15, 2020

Younger issued a statement, calling Garrett’s accusation “ludicrous.” Younger said he waited to watch the entire interview before responding.

“Garrett, after originally apologizing to Mason Rudolph, has made the ill-advised choice of publishing the belated and false accusation that Mr. Rudolph uttered a racial slur on the night in question.”

Younger called Garrett’s statements “defamatory” and said the Browns player is “exposed to legal liability.”

In the ESPN interview, Garrett said Rudolph instigated the fight by calling him the “N-word.”

The NFL announced Nov. 21 it “found no such evidence” of Rudolph using a racial slur. Rudolph was fined $50,000 for his role in the fight, and Garrett missed the final six games of the season because of his suspension.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy issued a statement Saturday, saying the league never found “evidence” of Rudolph using a slur and cited a lack of audio recording or sound from the incident.

“We checked with the officiating crew, including the ref who was on top of the play and the ensuing aftermath,” McCarthy said. “No player on either team came forward to say they heard him say it on the field. There was also no indication of any players saying they heard him say it in their postgame comments.”

Rudolph tussled with Garrett with 8 seconds remaining in the Steelers’ 21-7 loss to Cleveland on Nov. 14. Garrett took Rudolph to the ground after a third-down pass by the Steelers quarterback. Rudolph grabbed for Garrett’s helmet, prompting Garrett to grab Rudolph’s helmet. When Rudolph approached Garrett, he was hit on the head by his own helmet, prompting a fight that involved players from both teams.

Garrett was ejected from the game. Rudolph was not. In addition to Garrett, Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey and Browns defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi received suspensions, and more than 30 players from both teams were fined.

Younger questioned Garrett’s claim that Rudolph uttered the slur “simultaneously while being taken down, and before Mr. Garrett committed a battery by striking Mr. Rudolph on the head with a 6 lb helmet.”

After the game, Garrett apologized for his actions. He didn’t mention Rudolph using a slur until he met with NFL officials a week later while appealing his indefinite suspension.

“Mr. Garrett maliciously uses this false allegation to coax sympathy, hoping to be excused for what clearly is inexcusable behavior,” Young said. “Despite other players and the referees being in the immediate vicinity, there are zero corroborating witnesses — as confirmed by the NFL.”

pic.twitter.com/TJtBMzMmNe

— Younger & Associates/QB Limited (@YoungerAssoc) February 15, 2020

Tomlin also issued a statement in defense of his quarterback.

“I support Mason Rudolph not only because I know him, but also because I was on that field immediately following the altercation with Myles Garrett and subsequently after the game,” Tomlin said. “I interacted with a lot of people in the Cleveland Browns organization — players and coaches. If Mason said what Myles claimed, it would have come out during the many interactions I had with those in the Browns organization. In my conversations, I had a lot of expressions of sorrow for what transpired. I received no indication of anything racial or anything of that nature in those interactions.”