If Myles Garrett is telling the truth about Mason Rudolph calling him a racial slur during the ugly fight that broke out last week, it does not appear the Cleveland Browns star is going to have any witnesses.
Garrett met with the NFL to appeal his indefinite suspension on Wednesday, and he reportedly told league officials that he lost his cool after Rudolph used racist language toward him. The quarterback has vehemently denied the allegation, and players from both the Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers have said they did not hear anything racist.
Baker Mayfield and other Browns were asked on Thursday if they heard Rudolph use a racial slur. They said they did not hear it themselves or second-hand from anyone else on the team. Many said this was the first they had heard of the allegation.
Just asked Baker Mayfield about Garrett’s allegation that Rudolph used a racial slur and he seemed pretty stunned. Said wasn’t something he’d heard, including from anyone on the team, until I just asked him
— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) November 21, 2019
I asked Browns DT Sheldon Richardson if Myles Garrett had ever told him what Garrett alleged about Rudolph in the hearing. Richardson said he hadn’t and said my question was the first he’d even heard about it.
— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) November 21, 2019
Browns LB Joe Schobert: “haven’t heard anything on that front.” Added he wasn’t close enough to the play to hear anything in real time either
— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) November 21, 2019
Browns safety Damarious Randall said he “figured there was a lot more to the story,” knowing Myles, but that he hadn’t heard about the racial slur allegation
— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) November 21, 2019
#Browns WR Jarvis Landry said he “didn’t hear anything” and would not comment if Garrett told him anything about a racial slur.
— Tom Withers (@twithersAP) November 21, 2019
Players on the Pittsburgh side seemed equally puzzled.
Steelers OL Matt Feiler, who was near the fight, said he didn’t hear Mason Rudolph say anything.
“He’s not that kind of guy.”
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) November 21, 2019
Steelers DL Cam Heyward was very strong in defending Rudolph.
Said Rudolph came up to him at the end of practice and told him: “I did not say that.” pic.twitter.com/v5Q1lDJhBa
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) November 21, 2019
Garrett was asked following the game if Rudolph said something that inspired him to club the quarterback over the head with a helmet, and he said he was “not going to comment on it.”
For the “Myles would’ve said something after the game!” Crowd! #Browns pic.twitter.com/ds50AId07z
— Brandon Wolf (@BrandonWolfCLE) November 21, 2019
There are obviously a lot of questions that need to be answered now. Can the NFL review audio from the game to see if it’s true? One report says no players were mic’d up for the game.
Rudolph’s attorney has already released an extremely strong statement ripping Garrett for the allegation.
