You Can Bet on Myles Garrett and Mason Rudolph Greeting Each Other Before or After Week 17 Matchup
- The Steelers will start Mason Rudolph at quarterback Sunday, setting up the first time he will be on the same field with the Browns Myles Garrett
- Garrett was suspended for the final six games of 2019 after he hit Rudolph in the head with the Steelers quarterback’s helmet
- Is there any value betting the two will have any contact before or after Sunday’s game? Check out the odds on that below
Sunday the Cleveland Browns will play host to the Pittsburgh Steelers in a season finale that has an interesting twist.
The storyline should be about the Browns and if they are going to be able to gain a win that will put them in the postseason for the first time since the 2002 season, but there’s another storyline that will get all the attention.
That will be from an incident back in 2019 during a game in Cleveland. A brawl broke out in the final minutes of a game between the two as Browns DE Myles Garrett went after Steelers QB Mason Rudolph.
The end result of the fight was ugly. Garrett ripped off Rudolph’s own helmet, striking him in the head with it.
Garrett was sat for the rest of the 2019 season, which was six more games as the Browns slumped to a 6-10 mark.
The Browns defensive end claimed that Rudolph used a racial slur on him before the incident. Something the quarterback and his teammates have all denied.
All eyes will be on these two not only during but before and after the game.
Odds Rudolph and Garrett Make Physical Contact Before/After Game
| Result | Odds |
|---|---|
| Yes | +450 |
| No | -800 |
Odds as of Dec 30
Still at Odds?
So much was made of the fight last season in the first game that to date there has been no “make-up” between the pair.
Most people aren’t showing the whole video either they are only defending Myles Garrett or defending Mason Rudolph.
This is what happened… it starts off as an average nfl fight both players kick punch wrestle and pull helmets like normal. The difference is in how it ends. pic.twitter.com/ji6Pmqfiq0
— Demarcus-Lamarcus Johnson (@demarcuslemar) November 15, 2019
Earlier in 2020, when the Steelers hosted the Browns, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin had a short interaction with Garrett before the game, but nothing much was made of it.
Garrett was on the field for the first game back on October 18th, a game that was dominated by the Steelers 38-7.
Rudolph and Garrett, unless done without the knowledge of the media, have never spoken about the incident and, there have been no apologies on either side.
Expect No Drama
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin does not think that anything new will come of the incident from last season.
When asked if he would address last season’s incident between Garrett and Rudolph, the coach responded with a swift answer.
“I will not,’’ Tomlin said. “I won’t address it. There will be no need for that.’’
“That’s so far in the rearview mirror we can’t see it.”
Mason Rudolph on Myles Garrett’s accusation he used a racial slur in the Cleveland fight:
“It’s totally untrue. I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe he would go that route after the fact.” pic.twitter.com/5PvYFcNtzg
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) November 24, 2019
Garrett is actually the Browns nominee for the 2020 Walter Payton Man of the Year, recognizing the NFL’s best players for their performance on the field and their dedication to the community.
He has spent a lot of time during the last few weeks of 2019 and also during this season trying to put what happened between him and Rudolph behind him.
More at Stake
The Browns are fighting for their playoff lives. Unfortunately, their loss to the Jets in Week 16 has put them in a tough spot.
The 23-16 setback to the one-win Jets means if the Steelers, with Rudolph under center for regular starter Ben Roethlisberger, can get a win, they just might be able to knock one of their biggest rivals out of the playoffs.
Cleveland with a win would put themselves in the postseason for the first time in 18 seasons. A year which oddly enough ended with a loss to the Steelers 36-33 in a memorable playoff game at Heinz Field.
There could be a repeat of that if the chips fall a certain way and Cleveland wins. So, to bet “yes” that these two would find a way to have another interaction seems far fetched at this point.
Smart money is for sure on “no”. Even if Garrett gets a sack or a big hit on Rudolph, expect the Steelers quarterback to pop right up and look to brush it off.
Matt Loede has been a part of the Cleveland Sports landscape working in the media since 1994 when he graduated from broadcasting school. He has extensive experience in covering MLB, NBA, NFL, and college events. He's written three books, and won the "2020 AP Sports Stringer Lifetime Service Award."
