Myles Garrett and Mason Rudolph had not spoken face-to-face since the “helmet game” in 2019. They did after Sunday’s game, perhaps burying any lingering bad blood leftover from Week 11 last season when Garrett used Rudolph’s helmet to clock the quarterback over the head with it.
The Browns defensive end sprinted to the Steelers quarterback after Cleveland’s 24-22 victory Sunday. Garrett shook Rudolph’s hand and offered a compliment.
“I just told him ‘good game,’” Garrett said, via Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. “Hell of a game. And we’ll see ya next week.’'
The Browns, who cliched their first playoff berth since 2002, play at Pittsburgh in the wild-card round next week.
Garrett did not have a sack, finishing with 12 for the season. Rudolph, subbing for the resting Ben Roethlisberger, completed 22 of 39 passes for 315 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.
Rudolph’s pass attempt on a two-point conversion fell incomplete with 1:23 left.
He seemed to appreciate Garrett’s attempt at reconciliation, posting a picture on social media of the two exchanging the handshake. “Onward and Upward,” he wrote.
“Myles came over and said good game, and that’s all it was,” Rudolph said in his postgame videoconference. “I told him good luck, have a lot of respect for him.”