Myles Garrett’s accusation that Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph used a racial slur came as news to several Browns players.
None of them, according to Thursday’s open locker room, accused the suspended defensive end of lying about what he heard in last Thursday’s brawl with the Steelers, but it was new information.
ESPN reported that Garrett, facing an indefinite suspension, said in his appeal hearing with the NFL that Rudolph uttered a racial slur before Garrett swung Rudolph’s helmet and hit him on the top of the head. Garrett’s appeal was denied, so he remains suspended for an indefinite period of time — at least through the rest of the regular season and any potential postseason games.
The NFL said it looked into that specific accusation against Rudolph, but found no evidence to support it.
An ESPN reporter described Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield as “pretty stunned” about the accusation, which Mayfield only heard for the first time when the reporter asked about it.
Odell Beckham Jr. stood by his embattled teammate.
“I just don’t see Myles as someone who would lie or do anything like that,” Beckham said.
Jarvis Landry said he hadn’t heard anything about the alleged use of a slur. Safety Damarious Randall hadn’t heard about the slur either, but did say he “figured there was a lot more to the story.”
Rudolph, via a Steelers spokesperson, denied he uttered the slur.