David Richard/Associated Press
The NFL denied Saturday that it possesses any evidence of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph using a racial slur toward Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett during a Week 11 game last season.
ESPN's Jake Trotter provided the statement on Twitter:
Late in Pittsburgh's 21-7 loss the Cleveland in Week 11 last season, Garrett pulled off Rudolph's helmet and hit him in the head with it. As a result, Garrett was suspended for the remainder of the season. The NFL reinstated him this week.
In quotes from an ESPN Outside The Lines interview with Mina Kimes (h/t Trotter) released Thursday, Garrett doubled down on his previous accusation that Rudolph baited him by using a racial slur: "He called me the N-word.