Mason Rudolph Says He Hasn't Spoken to Myles Garrett Since On-Field Fight

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph hasn't heard from Myles Garrett since their on-field fight last season when the Cleveland Browns star hit him in the head with his helmet. 

Speaking to reporters Friday, Rudolph said Garrett "has not reached out to me in any capacity." 

Rudolph did add that "I'm happy to hear Myles out" if he wanted to do so. 

After Rudolph's comments, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters Garrett will serve as the team's game captain Sunday but added it has "nothing to do" with the on-field altercation.

Garrett, when asked if he would speak to Rudolph, told reporters he'd have "no problem" talking to the quarterback, but added he would "let it come naturally."

The incident occurred late in the fourth quarter of Pittsburgh's 21-7 win on Nov. 14, 2019. Garrett ripped off Rudolph's helmet and proceeded to hit him over the head with it. 

The NFL suspended Garrett indefinitely for his actions. He was reinstated by the league in February after meeting with commissioner Roger Goodell. 

Garrett has alleged multiple times that the brawl was sparked because he heard Rudolph say a racial slur. 

"He called me the N-word," the Browns star told ESPN's Mina Kimes in February (h/t Jake Trotter of ESPN.com). "He called me a 'stupid N-word.'"

Rudolph denied the allegation, telling reporters it was "totally untrue." NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy announced on Nov. 21, 2019, the league found no evidence that the Steelers quarterback used a racial slur. 

In September, Garrett told Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com that he would like to have a one-on-one sitdown with Rudolph: 

“I’m not sure how I’d go about that, how I’d broach that. I’m not even sure if he’d want to do that but I wouldn’t have a problem sitting down with him and just not talking about the incident, just talking man-to-man, how we move forward, and just being better men and football players and not letting something like that happen again.

“Whether we can do that, I’m not sure, but I’d be willing to extend the olive branch and make that happen."

Rudolph and Garrett will be playing against each other Sunday for the first time since the incident.

Rudolph will start for the Steelers against the Browns, who can secure their first playoff berth since 2002 with a win over their AFC North rivals.