The agent for Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph says Cleveland defensive end Myles Garrett opened himself up for potential legal action after reiterating his claim that Rudolph used a racial slur shortly before their infamous brawl in November.
During an interview with ESPN, his first since being hit with a suspension after slugging Rudolph in the head with Rudolph's own helmet in the final seconds of a Browns win on Nov. 14, Garrett said Rudolph called the defensive end āthe N-word.ā
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Rudolph, as he did when Garrett made the claim while appealing the suspension in November, called the allegation āa disgusting and reckless attempt to assassinate my character.ā Tim Younger, Rudolph's agent, went a step further. Because Garrett conducted the interview in California, Younger said Garrett's ādefamatory statementā has now exposed the former No. 1 pick to ālegal liability.ā
Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin also came to Rudolph's defense. Tomlin said he interacted with āa lot" of people within the Browns' organization in the aftermath of the fight and that no player or coach indicated there was a racial element to the incident.
āIn my conversations (with the Browns), I had a lot of sorrow for what transpired,ā Tomlin said in a statement.
The NFL said there was no evidence of Rudolph using a slur when it handed out an indefinite suspension to Garrett, a suspension which ended when he was reinstated earlier this week. Garrett, however, hinted the league may know more that it has revealed.
āMost quarterbacks wear mics in their helmets. He somehow lost his helmet and had to get another one without a mic,ā Garrett told ESPN. āThere were guys who were micād up near me ā near us ā during that time who didnāt hear anything. And from what Iāve heard, there have been audio during that game that could have heard something or could not have heard something, but they donāt want to say. So, something was said. I know something was said and whether the NFL wants to acknowledge it, thatās up to them.ā
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy referred to the leagueās original finding in an email to The Associated Press on Friday.
āAs we said at the time the allegation was made, we looked into the matter and found no such evidence,ā said McCarthy. āThere was no sound recorded from the field during that game. As with every game, there were microphones on the center or interior linemen that help amplify the ambient sound as the quarterbacks were calling signals at the line of scrimmage. But they do not record sound. Microphones are opened from the break of the huddle (or when the center places his hand on the ball in a no-huddle offense) through the snap of the ball.ā
Although Garrett insists Rudolph used the slur to provoke, the former No. 1 overall draft pick wants to put the incident behind him.
āBut I donāt want to make it a racial thing, honestly,ā he said. āItās over with for me and I am pretty sure itās over with for Mason, so we just move past that and keep on playing football.ā
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