Myles Garrett was reinstated on Wednesday after his suspension from bashing Steelers QB Mason Rudolph over the head with his own helmet. Was his suspension too short?
The Steelers Week 11 loss to the Clevland Browns was one of the all-around ugliest performances I’ve seen from a football team in years. Mason Rudolph led a non-existent passing attack. Despite Pittsburgh’s offensive struggles, they were just one score from tying things up, but Rudolph continually gave the ball away in the fourth quarter – throwing 4 interceptions on the evening.
As we all know, Pittsburgh’s pathetic offensive performance was hardly the focus after the game. On what should have been the final play against the Browns, Rudolph didn’t like the way he was taken to the ground by Myles Garrett. After a short scuffle on the ground that resulted in Rudolph getting his helmet ripped off, the irate quarterback confronted Garrett, and things went south from there.
In a sudden loss of self-control, Garrett clubbed Rudolph over the head with his own helmet. When suspensions were handed out just days later, it wasn’t a surprise to see that Garrett was suspended indefinitely.
Browns defensive end Myles Garrett reinstated. pic.twitter.com/UGe56wYgvH
— NFL (@NFL) February 12, 2020
Recently, the NFL fully reinstated the Pro Bowl edge defender. But because Garrett’s suspension started in the middle of November, he only received a 6-game suspension for his actions. Was this enough?
We have seen players (like Martavis Bryant) miss an entire season for non-violent, substance-abuse suspensions. In comparison, six games for attacking someone with a blunt weapon doesn’t seem like a fair trade.
Let’s be honest as Steelers fans: Rudolph wasn’t completely innocent in the situation. He was clearly seen grabbing at the back of Garrett’s helmet while on the ground, and he ran up to get in Garrett’s face after his helmet was removed. Obviously, Rudolph didn’t deserve a blow to the head that he received, but he probably shouldn’t have put himself in harm’s way.
I feel bad for Myles Garrett. He’s earned a terrible reputation for the poor choice that he made back in Week 11, and it’s something that is always going to leave a mark on his legacy. For Steelers fans, however, it’s time to move on.
The debate could rage on and on about whether or not Garrett should return to football after just six games. Unfortunately, that’s not up to us to decide. Garrett has had a lot of time to reflect on his actions. Let’s hope something like this doesn’t happen again.