Ex-Browns Defender Clears Air With Steelers QB Over Infamous Brawl

Getty Images Defensive end Myles Garrett and former Browns defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi.

Former Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi said he’s cleared the air with Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph over his role in the infamous 2019 brawl between the AFC North rivals.

Ogunjobi was hit with a one-game suspension for his role in the fight, which saw Browns star defensive end Myles Garrett swing Rudolph’s own helmet at him in the final moments of a Thursday Night Football game. Ogunjobi was hit with the one-game ban in addition to a $10,000 fine for shoving Rudolph to the ground.

Ogunjobi signed with the Steelers this offseason and said he spoke with Rudolph about the incident.

“It’s just water under the bridge,” Ogunjobi said Tuesday ahead of training camp. “That was years ago. No hard feelings. I don’t think he has any hard feelings. It’s just men in a sport. Sometimes we act out of emotions, and I was defending my teammate. He was doing his thing.

“I feel like it is what it is. He reached out, we talked to each other. It was over the day it happened. To me, at least, the only way I can move is forward.”

The Steelers are the third squad in the AFC North that Ogunjobi has played for, having suited up for the Bengals last season. He had nothing but good things to say about Rudolph.

“There’s no need to hold grudges,” Ogunjobi said. “We play a very emotional sport. It’s emotion-driven, and sometimes you act out of emotion. Being able to reach out, talk to each other and say, ‘I’m happy for you to be here; I’m excited to work with you.’ That speaks volumes about who he is.”

The Browns will see Ogunjobi and the Steelers near the start of the year in Week 3.

Garrett Has Turned Reputation Around Since Incident

Garrett was hit with an indefinite suspension following the helmet-swing, missing the final six weeks of the season. He also accused Rudolph of hurling a racial slur his way, sparking the fight, although the NFL did not find any evidence of that happening.

However, Garrett has been able to turn things around in a major way with his charitable work off the field and stellar, focused play on it. He’s coming off a year where he set the Browns’ single-season sacks record with 16 and earned inked a $125 million, five-year extension last season.

Garrett hasn’t said much about the incident with Rudolph since but dubbed it a small bump in the road after inking his massive deal.

“My life is much bigger than one moment,” Garrett told reporters “Me, the Browns, and my teammates are going to look past that and go on to greater success. That will be just a small bump in the road.”

Garrett Among Favorites for DPOY Honors

Part of the reason Garrett has been able to change the narrative is due to his strong play. He recently joined the exclusive 99 club in Madden and is installed as the favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year. Garrett heads into the season at +700, ahead of Steelers star TJ Watt (+800) and Rams DT (+800).

“I feel like each year I try to do something a little bit different, add a little bit of a new flavor to my game and it’s nothing different about that this year, trying to just get a little bit better,” Garrett said at his youth football camp in June.

And the Browns still think Garrett has room to grow, which defensive coordinator Joe Woods laid out during mandatory minicamp.

“Myles is very talented,” Woods said. “For him, I think it’s more about consistency, looking back at some of the plays last year that he left out there. For me, that’s what I talk to Myles about is just really perfecting the defense, not missing any opportunities and playing as hard as you can possibly play on every snap because when Myles does that, he’s unblockable in my opinion.”

The Browns need a big year from Garrett as they look to return to the playoffs after a disappointing 8-9 season a year ago.