Steelers' Mason Rudolph expected to be fined for role in melee
We’ve been hearing for days now that there will be more punishments handed out beyond the initial three player suspensions from the Cleveland Browns-Pittsburgh Steelers melee on Thursday night.
We haven’t seen anything yet.
It’s been reported that the player who set things off, Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph, will only be fined and not suspended, though on video he tried to remove Myles Garrett’s helmet and either intentionally or unintentionally kicked and grabbed Garrett between the legs.
On Sunday morning, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted that Rudolph will be fined, and that the collective bargaining agreement’s fine schedule says the first-time penalty for fighting is $35,096.
The league could increase that fine — Garrett has not only been fined without pay for the final six games of the regular season and playoffs at minimum but was also docked an unspecified additional fine. Garrett’s monetary punishment for game checks alone is over $500,000.
If Rudolph is fined only for fighting, his punishment wouldn’t even amount to a game check: at his 2019 salary, one game check is $38,721.
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