CLEVELAND, OH — Thursday night's contest between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns ended with fireworks that all parties involved surely regret.
With the Browns leading 21-7 with 12 seconds to play, Steeler QB Mason Rudolph dropped back to pass and was wrapped up by defensive end Myles Garrett as he released the ball. Following the hit, Garrett and Rudolph jostled on the ground before Garrett eventually ripped Rudolph's helmet off, wound up, and struck Rudolph in the head with it. Other Pittsburgh players retaliated and a fight broke out.
Garrett's actions were never before seen on an NFL field and caused a flood of commentary from football analysts and social media users alike.
Garrett, who was drafted 1st overall in the 2017 draft out of Texas A&M, was suspended for the rest of the 2019-2020 season, including any postseason games, and could miss time next season, the NFL announced Friday.
Garrett released the following statement once the news came out, "Last night, I made a terrible mistake. I lost my cool and what I did was selfish and unacceptable. I know that we are all responsible for our actions and I can only prove my true character through my actions moving forward. I want to apologize to Mason Rudolph, my teammates, our entire organization, our fans and to the NFL. I know I have to be accountable for what happened, learn from my mistake and I fully intend to do so."
ESPN reported that Garrett will appeal the suspension.
The event happens at an interesting time for Central High School fans as the Bobcats head to face Garrett's alma mater in the 6A state playoffs Friday. Head Coach Brent Davis is lucky he is not on this year's Warrior team. Garrett was a consensus 5 star recruit and number one player in the nation coming out of high school. He chose A&M over offers from Alabama, Ohio State, LSU, Oklahoma, and pretty much every Division I power in the nation.
Here is a link to a replay of Thursday's fight.
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