Former Browns General Manager John Dorsey confirmed Myles Garrett‘s account of what happened immediately after the defensive end’s ejection Nov. 14 against the Steelers.
Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) reacts after swinging a helmet at Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph (2) in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019, in Cleveland. The Browns won 21-7. (AP Photo/David Richard)
© ASSOCIATED PRESS Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) reacts after swinging a helmet at Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph (2) in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019, in Cleveland. The Browns won 21-7. (AP Photo/David Richard)
Garrett said he told Dorsey, coaches and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi that Mason Rudolph‘s use of a racial slur is what set him off. The Steelers quarterback repeatedly has denied the allegation, most recently in a Saturday statement.
Dorsey confirmed to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal on Monday that Garrett had informed the team of his racial slur accusation postgame.
“Correct,” Dorsey told Ulrich. “It’s the truth.”
That follows what Dorsey said in a prepared statement Nov. 21 in which he said Garrett “was open and honest with us about the incident from the start.”
Garrett served a six-game suspension for ripping off Rudolph’s helmet and bashing the quarterback over the head with it. The NFL reinstated Garrett last week, and a day later, Garrett conducted an interview with ESPN’s Mina Kimes in which he doubled down on his accusation against Rudolph.
Garrett told reporters after the game that “they’ve just got to go look for it; I’m not going to comment on it” when asked if Rudolph said something to him. The accusation became public Nov. 20 after Garrett made it in his appeal hearing with the NFL.
The NFL’s investigation into Garrett’s allegation revealed no evidence supporting the claim.
Rudolph’s attorney has threatened to sue Garrett for defamation of character.
And Steelers coach Mike Tomlin appeared on ESPN on Monday to defend his backup quarterback again.