It was one of the biggest stories of the 2019 NFL season. Cleveland Browns star edge rusher Myles Garrett hitting Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph with his own helmet during a Week 11 game.
As ugly as the scene itself might have been that Thursday night in Pittsburgh, the fall out was even more disturbing. That included allegations of racism levied in Rudolph’s direction by Garrett.
More than a year later, the two did battle during Sunday’s NFL Week 17 slate with Mason Rudolph getting the start over a resting Ben Roethlisberger. In the end, Myles Garrett and his Browns came out on top by the score of 24-22 to earn their first playoff appearance since 2002 and set the stage for a wild card matchup against these very same Steelers.
Following the game, Garrett and Rudolph could be seen burying the proverbial hatchet.
LOOK: Myles Garrett, Mason Rudolph embrace following game
One simple tweet from Rudolph pretty much summed it all up.
For his part, Myles Garrett explained the meeting and what it meant.
“I just told him ‘good game,’” Garrett said, via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “Hell of a game. And we’ll see ya next week.’’
This has to be seen as a feel-good story. Sure Rudolph and Garrett will never be mistaken for good friends. They remain bitter rivals. But some things are more important than the game itself.
The ugliness we saw take place on the field between Myles Garrett and Mason Rudolph back on Nov. 14 of 2019 just wasn’t a good look for the two players. It was a terrible look for the NFL, as evidenced by Garrett’s huge suspension by the league.
It’s now all about letting bygones be bygones. It’s something other adults outside of the sports world could learn a thing or two from. That’s for sure.