Steelers QB Mason Rudolph hit with $50,000 fine for on-field brawl
Rudolph signed a four-year deal with $3.9 million last year
Sports reporter Mike Gunzelman discusses the growing number of penalties in the NFL.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph has been hit with a $50,000 fine by the NFL a week after his midgame fight with Cleveland Browns player Myles Garrett, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.
Rudolph got off easy compared to Garrett, however: The Browns star has been suspended indefinitely after multiple fines and infractions throughout the season. It took the league over a week to sanction Rudolph, who likely won’t face any suspension himself, according to Rapoport.
The fine is hardly a drop in the bucket for the Steelers QB, who signed a four-year deal worth $3.9 million last year, according to TMZ Sports.
Garrett was suspended for the rest of the season for swinging his helmet at Rudolph during the melee, with the NFL declining his appeal on Wednesday. Garrett had claimed that Rudolph used a racial slur during the fight, which the Steelers quarterback adamantly denied.
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The league’s punishment of Garrett seems a bit uneven when compared to past incidents where helmets were used as a weapon, with the Browns star himself citing Antonio Smith’s meager three-game suspension for an identical infraction against Richie Incognito during his appeal hearing.
However, the NFL may have taken into consideration his recent infractions. In September, Garrett was fined $50,000 after punching Delanie Walker. That same month, the defensive end picked up two roughing-the-passer infractions on New York Jets quarterback Trevor Siemian, with one of the hits ending Siemian’s season.
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Garrett was fined over $42,000 for the hits on Siemian, bringing his season total to nearly $100,000 in fines. To make matters worse, Adidas, one of his primary sponsors, said it was “looking into” its relationship with the Browns star following the brawl.
Garrett’s fines still pale in comparison to Dion Jordan, who holds the distinction of receiving the most fines in the NFL after racking up $6.93 million, SportsCasting.com reports.
The league also fined the Browns and the Steelers $250,000 each, according to Pro Football Talk.
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