Former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Joey Porter sent a shockwave through Steelers nation on Wednesday. He called out a former teammate on Cam Heyward’s podcast, but it wasn’t any teammate. It was Ben Roethlisberger. Porter was also critical of James Harrison, but Roethlisberger took most of the bullets. As it turns out, Big Ben might not be the hero that some fans believe that he is, according to Porter.
Porter, who is commonly referred to as “Peezy”, has never been afraid to speak his mind. On Wednesday, he painted his Mona Lisa on Heyward’s podcast. Peezy explained that Big Ben wasn’t a good teammate or person, and that he shouldn’t be speaking about the Steelers business. He said that everyone in the organization protects him, but everyone in the building knows the truth. Those are harsh words to hear from a former teammate.
Several former Steelers rushed to Instagram to agree with Porter. Mason Rudolph even joined the party. It is speculated that Roethlisberger and Rudolph were never friends. Big Ben resented the fact that the team drafted him. He didn’t like the idea of Pittsburgh finding his replacement, and it is still hindering the team today. They could’ve had Lamar Jackson, but nobody wanted to step on Big Ben’s toes.
Both guys are a big part of Steelers history. Porter played eight seasons in Pittsburgh and helped them win Super Bowl 40 alongside Roethlisberger. Peezy was a First Team All-Pro in 2002 and made three Pro Bowls. Now, his son plays for the Steelers. Roethlisberger’s work in Pittsburgh speaks for itself. The two were teammates for only three seasons, but Porter joined the Steelers coaching staff after his playing days.
Looking back, it does make sense. Big Ben could’ve been the Steelers’ team MVP every season, but he rarely got that recognition from his teammates. There was the painful fallout with Antonio Brown and the things that he said about Roethlisberger. There was his rift with Rudolph. The fans look at Roethlisberger as a hero, but the building doesn’t hold the same sentiment, according to Porter. Everyone knows that Big Ben had less than ideal off-field adventures early in his career, but Porter decided to pull back the curtain.
Maybe Porter is right, but he might not be the best messenger. He has his own share of troubles in black and yellow. In 2019, when Porter was a coach, he was accused of pitting the defense and offense against each other in a divisive manner. That doesn’t scream good teammate. It doesn’t invalidate Porter’s claim, but it’s weird. The two were just seen getting along at the Steelers Hall of Honor events in December.
It sucks to see two former franchise cornerstones exchange blows like this. Steelers Nation will be in their seats to see what Roethlisberger and Harrison have to say on their next podcast episodes. At the end of the day, all of the parties involved helped deliver Lombardi Trophies to the Steel City. Hopefully, they can work things out, and the words came out wrong. It’s like watching your parents fight. Nobody wants to see this.
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