There’s been plenty of drama surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers since Wednesday morning. Joey Porter Sr. called out Ben Roethlisberger and James Harrison for their podcast comments surrounding Mike Tomlin on Cam Heyward’s Not Just Football podcast. Porter was particularly critical of Roethlisberger, who he said was “not a good teammate” and criticized Roethlisberger as a person. There’s been support and criticism of Porter’s comments from former Steelers. Roethlisberger’s former center and longtime friend Maurkice Pouncey called out any criticism against Roethlisberger in a post on Instagram.
“It’s unbelievable the hate I’ve been seeing from people inside the family!! Especially when we all a call away!!
If you against Big Ben FUCK YOU, YOU AGAINST ME! CLOUT IS A DISEASE! #1love,” Pouncey wrote on Instagram.
It’s notable that Porter only spent three seasons with Roethlisberger, from 2004-2006, while Pouncey was with Roethlisberger from 2010-20. Roethlisberger admitted he wasn’t a great teammate early in his career, and it’s reasonable to think that he was much more mature and a better teammate later in his career.
Pouncey’s comments are also notable given that he was a member of the 2025 Hall of Honor Class. The Steelers inducted him, Roethlisberger, and Porter, the only three members of the class.
The whole saga has caused former Steelers to go at each other, so much so that Ryan Clark said that the team was “out here like the Cowboys.” It’s become a talking point in the media, and it’s safe to say it’s a hot-button issue among former Steelers. Some clearly view Roethlisberger in a different light than others. But it’s not entirely surprising that different generations of Steelers can see things differently. Teammates from his younger days may have seen an immature young player acting a certain way that didn’t fit their culture. But as Roethlisberger got older, he developed as a leader, becoming someone who helped set the team’s culture.
People change and mature. While Roethlisberger may have rubbed people the wrong way in his younger years, his teammates who he had toward the latter part of his career view things differently. This whole drama started when Porter initially called out former Steelers and his former teammates for criticizing the team on podcasts and not keeping things in-house. The irony is that Porter decided to air out dirty laundry and not keep things in-house. Pouncey, rightfully in my opinion, took exception to that. He showed he still has his quarterback’s back, as he did his entire career when he was protecting him.
It’s a story that should eventually blow over, but it has certainly divided former Steelers in recent days.
