AP: Myles Garrett To Be Reinstated Wednesday
According to Tom Withers of the Associated Press, the NFL is set to reinstate Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett from his indefinite suspension Wednesday. Garrett was suspended the remainder of the regular season, which amounted to six games, for striking Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph with his helmet on Thursday Night Football in a brawl that resulted from Rudolph going after Garrett's face after he felt Garrett hit him late.
Garrett accused Rudolph of using a racial slur, which incited the whole incident, but the NFL was unable to produce the audio from the nationally televised game to verify whether that happened or not.
Beyond the six games Garrett was suspended, he also had to go to anger management counseling, which he had to complete in order to be reinstated. Before the suspension, Garrett was playing at an elite level, on pace to not only easily surpass the franchise record for sacks in a season, but was making a case to be the defensive player of the year.
Garrett's absence proved devastating for the Browns defense, as expected, and it was a tipping point in the season. Despite defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh, which should've been a big victory for the team and the perception of the season, Garrett's actions and resulting suspension made it feel like a loss and yet another embarrassment for an organization so often associated with both.
With new head coach Kevin Stefanski and defensive coordinator Joe Woods, Garrett is still the focal point of the Browns defense and despite the incident, will undoubtedly be discussing a contract extension after the 2020 season.
Executive Vice President Andrew Berry released the following statement: “We welcome Myles back to our organization with open arms. We know he is grateful to be reinstated, eager to put the past behind him and continue to evolve and grow as a leader. We look forward to having his strong positive presence back as a teammate, player and person in our community.”
