It felt like a standard Thursday night in November. Cold, gritty, and arguably a bit boring until the final eight seconds. Then, the sports world shifted. If you were watching the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers on November 14, 2019, you didn't just see a football play; you saw a "what on earth just happened?" moment that's still being debated in bars across Pennsylvania and Ohio today.
Basically, the image of Myles Garrett hitting Mason Rudolph with a five-pound piece of polycarbonate plastic became an instant, ugly part of NFL history.
👉 See also: Real Madrid vs FC Barcelona Results: Why the Gap is Closing
The Eight Seconds That Changed Everything
The game was essentially over. Cleveland was up 21-7. Rudolph threw a meaningless dump-off pass to Trey Edmunds. But Garrett, the Browns' absolute force of a defensive end, didn't stop. He drove Rudolph into the turf.
Honestly, that’s where things usually end—a late hit, a flag, maybe some barking. Instead, Rudolph grabbed at Garrett’s helmet while they were tangled on the ground. Garrett, clearly losing his cool, ripped Rudolph’s helmet off his head.
Then came the swing.
As Rudolph charged back toward him, Garrett swung the helmet like a medieval mace, connecting squarely with the top of Rudolph's unprotected skull. It was a sickening sound. You don’t see that in professional sports. You’ve seen fights, sure, but you rarely see a player turn a piece of safety equipment into a literal weapon.
The immediate fallout was total chaos. Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey went into "protector mode," punching and kicking Garrett while he was on the ground. Browns defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi shoved Rudolph from behind. It was a mess.
Why It Still Matters
People still argue about why this happened. You have to look at the context to understand why it’s not just a "fight" in the history books.
Soon after the game, the NFL handed down an indefinite suspension for Garrett. It was the longest suspension for a single on-field incident in league history at the time. He ended up missing the final six games of the 2019 season.
But the story didn't stop there. During his appeal process, Garrett made a massive allegation: he claimed Mason Rudolph used a racial slur right before the fight broke out.
- The NFL's Investigation: The league looked into it. They checked microphones. They interviewed players. They concluded there was "no evidence" to support the claim.
- Rudolph's Response: Rudolph called it a "bold-faced lie." His legal team even threatened a defamation lawsuit.
- The Locker Room Divide: It created a weird rift where fans were picking sides based on character rather than the actual act of the helmet swing.
Kinda crazy how one moment of lost composure can lead to years of slandering and "he said, she said."
The Long-Term Impact on the NFL
The league didn't just fine some people and move on. They had to.
Before this, the rulebook was a bit vague on using equipment as a weapon because, well, most people don't think to hit someone with a helmet. Now, there is a much heavier emphasis on "non-football acts." If you do what Garrett did today, you aren't just getting a 15-yard penalty. You're getting a massive fine and a season-ending vacation.
The financial hit was huge too. The NFL fined both the Steelers and the Browns $250,000 each. 33 players total were fined. The total bill for those few seconds of rage exceeded $730,000.
Where Are They Now?
It’s 2026. You’d think this would have defined Myles Garrett’s career forever. Surprisingly, it hasn’t.
Garrett didn't become a pariah. He became a legend. Since that night, he’s won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2023), set the Browns' franchise sack record, and even shattered the NFL single-season sack record with 23 in 2025. He’s a Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee. He’s basically the face of the Cleveland franchise.
Mason Rudolph’s path was different. He stayed in Pittsburgh as a backup for years, eventually finding a groove in 2023 and 2024 as a reliable starter during injury spells. He’s currently back in a Steelers jersey after a brief stint in Tennessee.
Interestingly, the two actually shook hands about a year after the incident. They’ve both tried to move on, even if the internet refuses to let them.
What You Should Take Away
If you're looking for a lesson in all this, it’s about the "moment of response vs. reaction."
Myles Garrett had one of the worst "reactions" in sports history. But his "response" in the years following—staying out of trouble, dominating the field, and leaning into community work—is why he’s a Hall of Fame lock rather than a cautionary tale.
🔗 Read more: Why the University of Kansas Men's Basketball Schedule Is About to Get Chaotic
For fans, it's a reminder that the "heat of the moment" is real. These guys are high-level gladiators with massive amounts of adrenaline. Sometimes, the human element overrides the professional one.
Next steps for fans of the rivalry: Check the current NFL schedule for the next Browns-Steelers matchup. Even six years later, the tension in the stadium whenever these two teams meet is palpable. You can also review the NFL's updated Personal Foul and Unsportsmanlike Conduct rules in the official Rulebook (Rule 12, Section 2) to see exactly how "using a helmet as a weapon" is now codified to prevent this from ever happening again.