Cleveland Browns coach Freddie Kitchens said Friday he had no reason to believe suspended defensive end Myles Garrett wasn’t being truthful when he accused Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph of using a racial slur as the two were involved in an on-field altercation last week.
Garrett took the helmet off Rudolph’s head in the waning seconds of Cleveland’s 21-7 win over Pittsburgh and hit the quarterback with it. In post-game interviews, he didn’t reveal that his action was triggered by a racial insult but admitted he told league officials that in his appeals hearing on Wednesday.
“I will say this about Myles’ character: if he tells me something, I am going to believe it,” Kitchens said.
He would not share whether he and Garrett had talked about anything Rudolph said.
“I am not revealing anything that Myles and I talked about.”
Garrett’s suspension of six games, plus any playoff games should the Browns qualify, was upheld Thursday. He will need to apply for reinstatement for 2020.