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The NFL did something they rarely ever do last year when they placed an indefinite suspension on Cleveland Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett. After the ugly incident on Thursday Night Football in Cleveland where Garrett ripped the helmet off Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback Mason Rudolph and used it to strike the second year quarterback, the league has decided to let Garrett back in.
The #Browns have announced Myles Garrett is officially back, with new GM Andrew Berry saying, "We welcome Myles back to our organization with open arms. We know he is grateful to be reinstated, eager to put the past behind him and continue to evolve and grow as a leader."
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 12, 2020
Garrett went through the appeals process following the original suspension, and the league decided to uphold their indefinite ban.
But there is more to the story than just Garrett’s welcome back to the Browns. Mason Rudolph was fined $50 thousand dollars for his part in the incident, and his attempt to recoup some, if not all, of that money has yet to be heard.
One loose end with the Myles Garrett/Mason Rudolph situation: As @MikeGarafolo has mentioned, Rudolph’s appeal of his $50K fine still has not been decided upon because of a backlog of appeals. Garrett’s fate was decided today, Rudolph’s wallet waits.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 12, 2020
I, along with most Steelers fans, are probably wondering how Rudolph would even be fined in the first place, considering Garrett treated him like a human pinata with his own helmet. Then again, the league also fined David DeCastro for playing the role of peace maker in the crazy melee which ensued in the waning minutes of a prime time game on the shores of Lake Eerie.
This situation, which has been on the backburner for months now, seems to be coming to a close, but fans of both teams can only expect this can of worms to be opened again in 2020 when the two AFC North rivals clash during the regular season.
Stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the black-and-gold as they prepare for NFL Free Agency, as well as the 2020 NFL Draft.