Myles Garrett accused Mason Rudolph of calling him a racial slur, prompting their ugly fight

• Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett was suspended indefinitely by the NFL after tearing off Mason Rudolph's helmet and swinging it at the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback.
• Garrett met with the NFL to appeal the suspension and reportedly accused Rudolph of calling him a racial slur in the moments leading up to the brawl.
• A Steelers spokesperson and Rudolph's attorney both vehemently denied the allegation.
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Myles Garrett reportedly accused Mason Rudolph of calling him a racial slur in the moments leading up to the brawl that took place in the final seconds of the Pittsburgh Steelers-Cleveland Browns game on Thursday night.

According to a report from ESPN's Josina Anderson and Adam Schefter, the accusation was made during Garrett's appeal hearing on Wednesday.

In a statement to ESPN, Steelers spokesperson Burt Lauten didn't hold back in denying the allegation on Rudolph's behalf.

"Mason vehemently denies the report of being accused of using a racial slur during the incident Thursday night in Cleveland," Lauten said. "He will not discuss this accusation any further and his focus remains on preparation for Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals."

Rudolph's attorney, Timothy M. Younger, went even further, calling Garrett's accusation "an assault on Mason's integrity which is far worse than the physical assault witnessed on Thursday." Younger also argued that mention of the alleged racial slur was "conspicuously absent" from Garrett's initial apology.

According to ESPN sources, Garrett made the allegation during his initial comments at the hearing, prompting an "argumentative exchange" between both sides over the permissibility of the allegation.

Garrett is currently suspended indefinitely but will miss at least the remainder of the 2019 season. Rudolph was not suspended for his role in the brawl but was fined $35,000.

Read ESPN's entire report here.

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