Former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin recently revisited one of the NFL’s most infamous altercations with an unexpected joke about Mason Rudolph, according to ClutchPoints.
Years after the quarterback’s confrontation with Myles Garrett, Tomlin offered a surprisingly humorous perspective on the incident, as Yahoo Sports reported.
The former Steelers coach previously refused to revisit the Garrett-Rudolph controversy.
However, his latest comments suggest he can now laugh about what happened, per Yahoo Sports.
During an appearance on Cameron Heyward’s Not Just Football podcast, Tomlin joked about Rudolph’s appearance while discussing the notorious 2019 confrontation, as detailed by ClutchPoints.
Andrew Fillipponi shared Tomlin’s remarks about Rudolph on X, highlighting the coach’s unusual description of his former quarterback, according to Yahoo Sports.
Tomlin joked about the quarterback by stating, “He’s our punchable face.”
Tomlin further elaborated on the lighthearted moment by stating, “He kind of lightened the mood, though, when I said it, right? I was like, yeah, he does. He is very punchable.”
The comments referenced the November 14, 2019, matchup between Pittsburgh and Cleveland, as noted by Yahoo Sports.
During the closing seconds of the Browns’ 21-7 victory, Garrett ripped off Rudolph’s helmet and struck him with it, per Yahoo Sports.
The incident triggered a larger confrontation involving several players, according to Yahoo Sports.
The NFL subsequently suspended Garrett for the remainder of the regular season and any Cleveland postseason games, as reported by Yahoo Sports.
At the time, Tomlin publicly defended Rudolph amid the controversy, per Yahoo Sports.
The Steelers also stood behind their quarterback following the confrontation, with Heyward among those supporting him, according to ClutchPoints.
Tomlin’s latest remarks mark a striking change in tone from his earlier responses, as noted by Yahoo Sports.