After Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett reiterated on Outside the Lines that Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph called him a racial slur prior to an in-game altercation in Week 11, Mike Tomlin spoke up for Rudolph because he "thought it was appropriate that Mason was properly defended." 

"These accusations are serious," the Steelers head coach said Monday on First Take, via Antwan V. Staley of Athlon Sports. "Not only in terms of Mason Rudolph's character but his professional pursuits."

"I think his reputation needs to be defended and defended aggressively," he added, via Brooke Pryor of ESPN.

Tomlin added the Steelers "were hacked off" after Garrett's comments, per Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Staley added: "[Tomlin] basically said he wouldn't blame Mason Rudolph for suing Myles Garrett."

Rudolph denied on Twitter that he called Garrett a racial slur:

Tomlin also defended his quarterback in an official statement last week while noting no one with the Browns had mentioned the slur.

"I interacted with a lot of people in the Cleveland Browns organization⁠—players and coaches," Tomlin said. "If Mason said what Myles claimed, it would have come out during the many interactions I had with those in the Browns' organization."

Garrett was suspended for the rest of the 2019 campaign for hitting Rudolph on the head with the quarterback's helmet. He was reinstated by the NFL in February.

Rudolph received a $50,000 fine for unsportsmanlike conduct for his role in the altercation, which Tomlin thought was unreasonable. 

"He got fined $50,000 for essentially getting beaten up," the coach said on First Take, via Chase Williams. "His reputation has been tarnished because of the allegations. None of which was founded."

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy recently noted the league investigated the brawl and announced it "found no such evidence" of Rudolph using a racial slur, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk.