Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph has been at the center of attention after his involvement in the late-game brawls against the Browns. Here is what he had to say about his actions.
The Steelers are ready to forget and move on from the fiasco that occurred last Thursday night. With the game well out of reach, things got testy between quarterback Mason Rudolph and Browns defensive end, Myles Garrett.
As we know, things quickly spiraled out of control. Myles Garrett ultimately clubbed Rudolph in the head with his own helmet and Maurkice Pouncey retaliated by throwing punches and even kicking Garrett while he was on the ground.
However, Rudolph wasn’t about to get off the hook for his actions. The Steelers quarterback has been at the center of controversy all week regarding his involvement in the late-game brawl, and there are many who believe Rudolph even started the fight.
After a long week to recuperate and move past a dreadful performance in Cleveland, Rudolph has finally issued a statement of apology for his actions on Thursday Night Football. Here is what he had to say:
Mason Rudolph speaks about the way our game vs. the Browns ended. pic.twitter.com/cfw9XEgMq1
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) November 20, 2019
Rudolph made it clear that he regretted the way he handled the situation. However, he didn’t back down from his position that Garrett was in the wrong first. The second-year quarterback had the following to say:
"“We had already lost two of our players to targeting penalties for the game. As I released the ball, you know, I took a late shot; did not agree with the way (Garrett) then took me to the ground. And my natural reaction was just to get him off from on top of me."
While we witnessed the same, many are accusing Rudolph of doing much more than trying to get Garrett off of him. The quarterback could be seen scrapping at the back of Garrett’s helmet as he was on top of Rudolph.
Things were done on both sides that neither teams’ players can take back. Rudolph may have taken a late shot from Garrett but he isn’t professing to be innocent in all of this.
No matter what Rudolph’s intentions were at the time or what he may have said to provoke Garrett, there is obviously never a reason to use a helmet as a weapon against another player.
At this point, Rudolph and the Steelers just want to move on and focus on the Cincinnati Bengals. Pittsburgh is a 5-5 football team who still have hope for the playoffs this season. What’s done is done. It’s time to put this ugly incident behind us.