Myles Garrett says he was assured Mason Rudolph racial slur accusation wouldn't go public: 'I know what I heard'
Hours after a report surfaced that Myles Garrett accused Mason Rudolph of making a racial slur that sparked last Thursday’s Steelers-Browns brawl, Garrett wrote on Twitter that he didn’t expect his comments to be made public.
‘I know what I heard’
— Myles "Flash" Garrett ⚡️ (@MylesLGarrett) November 22, 2019
ESPN's Josina Anderson and Adam Schefter reported earlier Thursday that Garrett said at an appeal for his indefinite suspension on Wednesday that Rudolph directed a racial slur at him before he removed Rudolph’s helmet and hit him in the head with it.
Garrett lost his appeal.
The accusation has drawn widespread attention in NFL circles.
NFL found no evidence of Garrett’s allegation
NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy responded to the report saying that the league “found no such evidence” that Rudolph used a slur.
Rudolph denied that accusation through a team statement from the Steelers.
“Mason vehemently denies the report of being accused of using a racial slur during the incident Thursday night in Cleveland," Steelers spokesman Burt Lauten said in a statement. “He will not discuss this accusation any further and his focus remains on preparation for Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals.”
While Garrett wrote that the alleged slur didn’t “excuse my lack of restraint,” he insists that “I know what I heard.”
Response from Steelers, Browns players
Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield and defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson told ESPN’s Jake Trotter that they hadn’t heard about Garrett’s allegation until the report surfaced on Thursday.
Steelers defensive lineman Cam Heyward told reporters that Rudolph is “distraught” over the accusation and that, “I know Mason didn’t say it.”
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
Rudolph hasn’t publicly responded to the accusation beyond the statement from the Steelers and another from his agent characterizing Garrett’s accusation as “wild and unfounded.”
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