Baker Mayfield surprised some when he immediately condemned teammate Myles Garrett’s actions following Thursday night’s brawl between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns, but the opinion Mayfield expressed is one that appears to be shared throughout the entire Browns organization.
After the NFL announced on Friday that Garrett has been suspended for the remainder of the season and potentially beyond for ripping Mason Rudolph’s helmet off and hitting the quarterback with it, the Browns issued a statement calling Garrett’s behavior “unacceptable.” They also apologized to Rudolph and the Steelers.
DE Myles Garrett has been suspended indefinitely and DT Larry Ogunjobi has been suspended for one game.
Statement from Dee and Jimmy Haslam » https://t.co/6ZXPyWOh8L pic.twitter.com/ElqKVHJdf7
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) November 15, 2019
Players often defend their teammates or wait for all of the facts to come out before commenting on an incident like the one we saw Thursday, but the immediate reaction from Mayfield and others proves just how far Garrett crossed the line.
Garrett will likely appeal his suspension, but he stands very little chance of winning. He won’t really have much to compare the situation to, as hitting an opponent with a helmet is a dangerous and unprecedented move. There has even been talk that Rudolph could pursue legal action against Garrett. Even if that is unlikely to happen, Garrett’s suspension will almost certainly be upheld. The comments his teammates and the Browns organization have made about the incident won’t do him any favors.
