Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett has been reinstated by the NFL on Wednesday after a violent, late-season, helmet-swinging brawl with the Pittsburgh Steelers in a nationally televised game.
The Browns organization issued a statement welcoming Garrett back “with open arms.”
On Nov. 14, Cleveland was leading the division rival Steelers 21-7 on its home field at FirstEnergy Stadium. After Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph had completed a pass from his own goal line to running back Trey Edmunds, Garrett leveled Rudolph, ripped off the defenseless quarterback’s helmet and then struck him in the head with it.
»MORE: NFL suspends Myles Garrett, 2 others after helmet swing
Within seconds, the dead play devolved into an all-out brawl involving players from both teams.
During the melee, Larry Ogunjobi pushed Rudolph to the ground from behind after Rudolph had been hit by Garrett; Maurkice Pouncey jumped into Garrett and kicked him as Steelers teammate David DeCastro pinned Garrett to the ground.
Garrett was suspended indefinitely after the game by the NFL. He was also fined.
Garrett apologized for his actions but also later accused Rudolph of using a racial slur during the fight.
“What I did was foolish, and I shouldn’t allow myself to slip like that,” Garrett told ESPN after the game. “That’s out of character, but a situation like that where it’s an emotional game, and I allowed myself to fall into those emotions with what happened.”
