Here’s Myles Garrett’s Explanation For Smashing Mason Rudolph With Helmet

There’s not a lot Myles Garrett could have said to soften the blow Thursday night after the Cleveland Browns’ 21-7 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers at FirstEnergy Stadium.

Garrett ripped off Mason Rudolph’s helmet and smashed the Steelers quarterback in the head with it during the closing moments of the fourth quarter, turning a skirmish that began when the two wrestled to the ground into a full-scale brawl.

The incident, one of the most egregious on-field acts in NFL history, undoubtedly will lead to a significant suspension for Garrett, and the Browns defensive end, if nothing else, showed some contrition while talking with reporters in Cleveland about what happened.

Here are Garrett’s full postgame comments, courtesy of ESPN’s Jake Trotter:

Garrett, the first overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, has shown in the past that he plays with an edge. The 23-year-old crossed the line by a mile Thursday night, though, and no explanation would have been sufficient for his actions.

UPDATE (Friday, 11:50 a.m. ET): The NFL has suspended Garrett indefinitely without pay.