Thursday night’s matchup between the Browns and Steelers was largely uneventful, with Cleveland controlling the game throughout in a 21-7 win.
That was until the final 10 seconds of the fourth quarter, when a fight erupted between Browns defensive end Myles Garrett and Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph in which Garrett eventually ripped off Rudolph’s helmet and then hit him in the head with it as the fight continued. Maurkice Pouncey then came in to his quarterback’s defense by swinging on Garrett and eventually stomping on him once he was taken to the ground. Larry Ogunjobi of the Browns also took a cheap shot on Rudolph with a blindside hit on the outside of the fracas.
It was a stunning football fight, the likes of which we haven’t seen since Andre Johnson ripped the helmet of Cortland Finnegan and punched him a few times in the head. On Friday morning, the league handed down suspensions for the fight, with Garrett being suspended indefinitely — with the minimum length of the suspension being for the rest of the 2019 season, including the playoffs.
Steelers, Browns organizations each fined $250,000.
Browns' Garrett, Ogunjobi & Steelers' Pouncey suspended. pic.twitter.com/HJ4Qnc4xsY
— Michael Signora (@NFLfootballinfo) November 15, 2019
Pouncey is suspended for three games for his actions, while Ogunjobi picked up a one game suspension. The six games Garrett will assuredly miss makes this the longest suspension the league’s handed out for a fight, topping the five games Albert Haynesworth got for stomping on a player’s head — although Vontaze Burfict got a season-long suspension earlier this year for his latest violent hit to the head.
Given the conversation surrounding Garrett’s actions, it’s not surprising the league would move swiftly on this and hand down a stiff suspension. What he did was indefensible — despite the efforts of some to do so — but one would expect him to be back with the Browns next year after meeting with the commissioner’s office at some later point this season.
