With just 10 seconds to go in the Steelers and Browns game on Thursday Night Football, the NFL had one of the most disappointing moments of the year. The Browns were leading 21-7 when the incident happened. Star defensive end Myles Garrett struck Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback, Mason Rudolph, in the head with Rudolph’s own helmet.
It was a clean shot to the head. Rudolph seemed to be okay after the game, but is lucky he is not in critical condition. For those of you that don’t know, Myles Garrett is listed at 6’4 and weighs 272 pounds. At first glance, he is a freak of nature. There is undoubtedly enough force produced in his swinging motion to cause serious injury. The spot of impact and what part of the helmet that made contact with Rudolph’s head is what separates this from a 1-year suspension to a lifetime suspension.
To make matters worse, Rudolph is just coming off a concussion suffered against the Baltimore Ravens in week 5 where he was knocked unconscious on the field. Had Rudolph been injured even more or had been knocked unconscious again, Myles Garrett would most likely never see the field again.
Fights have and will always be apart of football, however they usually can be settled by competing between the whistles. Anything that happens after the whistle is frowned upon. Fights also have to have two sides involved. Mason Rudolph did initiate by trying to grab Garretts helmet first but was unsuccessful. Garretts pure strength and dominance will come back to haunt him for once.
The year being 2019 does not help his case as player safety is at an all time high level of importance in the NFL. I would expect and hope Myles Garrett is suspended for at least a year. Again, that would be a good thing considering much worse things could have resulted from this incident.
