One of the most successful NFL franchises in history has become ‘The Days of Our Steelers’ or some other kind of soap opera this week. Former Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher Joey Porter Sr. started the drama, ripping former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for using his podcast to criticize Mike Tomlin and the team.
In the hours after Porter’s comments on Roethlisberger became public, several other former Steelers appeared to concur with Porter’s remarks on Instagram while others came to the ex-quarterback’s defense.
“Go off,” responded Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph, via Steelers Depot’s Ross McCorkle.
It’s been public since Pittsburgh drafted Mason Rudolph in 2018 that the two quarterbacks weren’t on the best of terms.
“Amen! Hold them boys accountable,” former Steelers offensive tackle Mike Adams wrote. “Ben talkin [expletive] about anybody is comical.”
“Peezy talking that talk,” wrote ex-Steelers safety Mike Mitchell.
“Peezyyy,” responded former special teams player Tyler Matakevich.
All four of those players shared those reactions in response to a video of Porter putting Roethlisberger on blast during an appearance on Cameron Heyward’s Not Just Football podcast.
“The [expletive] that [Roethlisberger] do that we don’t talk about is crazy. Out of anybody that talk, he should never grab a microphone and talk Steelers business,” Porter said on Heyward’s podcast. “Because if we talking Steelers business, his [expletive] is foul of all foul.”
Porter continued, calling Roethlisberger “not a good teammate” and a bad person.
Ben Roethlisberger Receives Major Criticism, Others Defend QB
It’s difficult to think of another example of a former NFL player putting an ex-team on blast as Porter did to Roethlisberger this week. But clearly, the ex-edge rusher dislikes Roethlisberger criticizing the Steelers to promote his podcast.
Porter didn’t specifically address the former quarterback in December. But in a previous guest appearance on Heyward’s podcast, the ex-All-Pro defender made clear he didn’t care for Steelers alumni speaking negatively about the organization.
But to make that point louder this week, Porter attacked Roethlisberger personally. The fact other Steelers players, both past and current, essentially agreed with Porter is not a good look for Roethlisberger.
The former quarterback, though, wasn’t completely on an island Wednesday. Ex-offensive tackle Zach Banner and former signal-caller Duck Hodges defended Roethlisberger.
“Ben aka 7 is one of the best big bros in football I’ve ever had,” Banner wrote on X. “[When] you attack someone’s character and question them as a person, and not the football player, then you better be perfect in all cylinders of life. And you’re not. The same thing goes for Coach [Mike] Tomlin as a coach.
“And I’m not speaking cryptic today. Peezy and James Harrison are wrong.”
Ironically, a big reason why Porter put Roethlisberger on blast is because the ex-quarterback suggested toward the end of the 2025 regular season that it might be time for Mike Tomlin to move on.
It sounds like Banner didn’t agree with that take even though he did defend Roethlisberger from Porter’s attack.
Hodges didn’t use any words but appeared to defend Roethlisberger on X as well.
Steelers Open 2026 NFL Offseason With Soap Opera
If there was a football game this weekend, perhaps Porter’s remarks on Roethlisberger wouldn’t have set the media on fire as much as it did Wednesday. But fully immersed in the offseason, Porter and Roethlisberger became the top story around the team this week.
Just two months ago, the former quarterback and edge rusher went into the Steelers Hall of Honor together. Along with center Maurkice Pouncey, they made up the team’s Hall of Honor Class of 2025.
It will be interesting to see if Roethlisberger responds to Porter and his other former teammate’s criticism.
The quarterback himself has admitted on his podcast in the past that he wasn’t always the best teammate. So, in some ways, Porter’s remarks weren’t much of a surprise. The nature in which he made his attack personal, though, was shocking to many pundits.
ESPN’s and former Steelers safety Ryan Clark appeared to try and make light of the Roethlisberger-Porter drama on social media Wednesday night.
“Are we going to have to call a Steelers’ ‘former’ Player’s only meeting? We out here like the Cowboys.”
Clark spent one season as Porter’s teammate in 2006. Clark was Roethlisberger’s teammate from 2006-13.
Ex-Steelers Teammates Don’t Hold Back on Ben Roethlisberger Amid Criticism