Former Steelers linebacker Joey Porter isn’t holding back.
In an appearance on Cam Heyward’s “Not Just Football” podcast, Porter delivered a fiery assessment of former teammates Ben Roethlisberger and James Harrison, challenging the narratives they’ve pushed since retirement.
“(Rothlisberger) definitely broke the brotherhood because, the sh– that (Rothlisberger) did that we don’t talk about is crazy,” Porter stated bluntly, via YouTube. “Like out of anybody should talk, he should never grab a microphone and really talk Steeler business. Yeah. Because if we talking Steeler business, his a– is foul of all foul.”
Porter made a clear distinction between respecting Roethlisberger as a player while acknowledging his flaws as a person.
“Won a Super Bowl with him, but the person, he’s just not a good teammate. Like, he knows that,” Porter said. “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.”
Porter detailed specific instances of Roethlisberger’s poor behavior, including refusing to sign items for teammates’ family members — something Porter notes even the legendary Jerome Bettis would always do.
“When he first did it to Chris Hokei, I was like, ‘Damn, that’s messed up, man.’ I grabbed it from Hokei, took it over there, and told him to sign it,” Porter said. “But then when he did Aaron Smith, now I got to have a meeting.”
The discussion also turned to James Harrison’s criticism of Coach Mike Tomlin, which clearly struck a nerve with Porter.
“How can you say he’s not a great coach when everything that happened good to you in football was under his watch?” Porter questioned. “Like your ‘Deebo’ name, when I played with you, you was James Harrison… Under Mike, three or four Pro Bowls, defense player of the year, played in two championships, paid you over 50 something million. You thought you did all of that?”
Porter didn’t stop there, reminding listeners of Harrison’s struggles before Tomlin: “Under Cowher, they cut you three times… You was looked at as a special team player.” This context makes Harrison’s criticism even more puzzling to Porter, who views it as ungrateful.
As someone who played with both stars and later coached, Porter witnessed firsthand the team dynamics that fans never see. His passionate defense of Tomlin reveals the complex relationships that exist within NFL organizations and how they can sour after retirement.