Big Ben wasn’t the most popular guy in the building when he was leading the Steelers.
In an interview with former teammate and current Steeler Cam Heyward released Wednesday, legendary pass rusher Joey Porter pointed out that two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Ben Roethlisberger wasn’t very well-liked by his teammates and that he “broke the brotherhood.”
“The s–t that 7 [Roethlisberger] do that we don’t talk about is crazy… The s–t that he did is foul of all foul. He’s just not a good teammate,” Porter said on the show. “He knows that. Anybody in the Steeler building knows that, but we protected him. Because I’ve only won one Super Bowl and that was my quarterback. So do I love my quarterback? Yeah, but is he a good person? No.”
Joey Porter talks with Ben Roethlisberger during the AFC Divisional Playoffs in Pittsburgh, Penn., on Jan. 15, 2005. Sporting News via Getty Images
Porter stopped short of saying what exactly made Roethlisberger a bad teammate, but did bring up a smaller incident involving a former defensive lineman, Aaron Smith, who asked Roethlisberger to sign something for his family, which Roethlisberger, then a rookie, declined, leading to a meeting.
Former Steelers star Joey Porter, during an appearance on “Not Just Football with Cam Heyward.” “Not Just Football with Cam Heyward”/YouTube
“So how do you think that monster turned into once all of the vets was gone?” Porter said.
Porter added that when he was an assistant defensive, as he was under Mike Tomlin from 2014-18, Roethlisberger was unapproachable.
Several current and former Steelers players spoke out in support of Porter in the comments on the clip posted to Instagram.
Backup quarterback Mason Rudolph wrote: “Go off @jporter55 (bullseye emoji) and former safety Mike Mitchell chimed in with, “Peezy talking that talk.”
Former offensive lineman Mike Adams praised Porter with an “Amen!” and for holding “them boys accountable.” He added that “Ben talking s–t about anybody is comical…”
Porter added that his teammates in the building did a lot to support him and eventually helped him become a player many expect to make the Hall of Fame when first eligible next year.
But in December, Roethlisberger said the Steelers needed to clean house and move on from his former longtime coach, Mike Tomlin.
Ben Roethlisberger was apparently a terrible teammate, according to Joey Porter. Getty Images
“Maybe it’s a clean‑house time… I like Coach Tomlin. I have a lot of respect for Coach Tomlin. Maybe it’s best for him too… Maybe a fresh start for him is what’s best,” Roethlisberger said on Dec. 3 before Tomlin stepped down.
Roethlisberger attempted to backtrack these comments later in the month, but it appears that the damage was done with Porter and perhaps others.
“He came in the era where they just give you a C,” Porter added of Roethlisberger. “Because if he wasn’t a captain, he’d probably have a hissy fit. But nobody’s going to vote for him as captain because he don’t have no captain qualities.”
