Los Angeles (AFP) – Tensions were still simmering Sunday, more than a week after Myles Garrett’s helmet-swinging attack on Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph, who again denied using a racial slur shortly before the incident.
“It’s totally untrue,” Rudolph told reporters after Pittsburgh’s 16-10 NFL victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, a game in which the struggling signal caller was benched in the second half.
“I couldn’t believe it and I couldn’t believe that he would go that route after the fact,” Rudolph said after reports surfaced that Cleveland Browns defensive end Garrett made the claim during his unsuccessful appeal of his indefinite suspension.
The NFL said Thursday that it found no evidence to support the allegations against Rudolph, but Garrett later issued a statement in which he said “I know what I heard.”
Rudolph said Sunday he had “moved on”.
“It is what it is I think I’ve moved on. One day it was tough, but moved on,” said Rudolph, who was fined $50,000 for his role in the fight.
He was one of 33 players fined in the brawl that erupted when Garrett yanked Rudolph’s helmet off and hit him in the head with it.
Rudolph said the continuing turmoil since didn’t contribute to his disappointing performance against the Bengals.
He completed just 8 of 16 pass attempts for 65 yards, and ended the Steelers’ second drive with an interception in the red zone.
“I think I do a good job of shutting that stuff out,” he said.
After Rudolph was sacked to open the third quarter, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin turned to backup Devlin Hodges.
He completed 5 of 11 passes for 118 yards and a touchdown as the Steelers gained the win.
It remains to be seen if Rudolph will get the job back next Sunday — when Pittsburgh face Cleveland again.
“We’ll see what next week holds, next week,” Tomlin said.
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