Mason Rudolph is considering taking legal action against Myles Garrett, after the Browns' defensive end further alleged that Rudolph uttered a racial slur that instigated the famous helmet-swinging incident. On Saturday morning, Rudolph's attorney, Tim Younger, shared a statement on twitter regarding Garrett's recent interview with ESPN, in which he maintained that Rudolph had called him "a stupid 'N-word'" on the field.
"We waited to hear the entire interview," Younger wrote in the statement. "Garrett, after originally apologizing to Mason Rudolph, has made the ill-advised choice of publishing the belated and false accusation that Mr. Rudolph uttered a racial slur on the night in question. Note that Mr. Garrett claims that Mr. Rudolph uttered the slur simultaneously with being taken down, and before Mr. Garrett committed a battery by strike Mr. Rudolph on the head with a 6 lb helmet. His claim is ludicrous. This obviously was not the first time Mr. Rudolph had been sacked by an African American player. Mr. Garrett maliciously uses this false allegation to coax sympathy, hoping to be excused for what clearly is inexcusable behavior. Despite other players and the referee being in the immediate vicinity, there are zero corroborating witnesses--as confirmed by the NFL. Although Mr. Rudolph had hoped to move forward, it is Mr. Garrett who has decided to utter this defamatory statement — in California. He is now exposed to legal liability."
Garrett first claimed that Rudolph had used a racial slur against him back in November immediately following the incident that got him suspended. Now that Garrett has been reinstated by the NFL, he sat down with ESPN to address the situation and revealed just what exactly Rudolph allegedly called him that triggered the brawl. "When he said it, it kind of sparked something, but I still tried to let it go and still walk away. But once he came back, it kind of reignited the situation," he said. "And not only have you escalated things past what they needed to be with such little time in the game left, now you're trying to re-engage and start a fight again. It's definitely not entirely his fault, it's definitely both parties doing something that we shouldn't have been doing." Rudolph has vehemently denied these claims, insisting that they are "1000% false" and a "bold-faced lie."
"I did not, have not, and would not utter a racial-slur," Rudolph wrote in a tweet on Saturday morning. "This is a disgusting and reckless attempt to assassinate my character." Stay tuned for updates on whether Rudolph pursues legal action against Garrett.
