In the face of pushback over two current players\u2019 public support for President Donald Trump, the Pittsburgh Steelers organization is reminding fans that players have a right to express their personal opinions. <\/p>\n
The team sent a letter to fans emphasizing this view on Monday, three days after quarterback Mason Rudolph and safety Miles Killebrew appeared on stage at a Trump rally.<\/p>\n
The two players, along with former Steeler Rocky Bleier, presented Trump with a No. 47 jersey during the rally in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. <\/p>\n
Steelers legend Rocky Bleier, QB Mason Rudolph, and Safety Miles Killebrew present President Donald Trump with a custom Steelers jersey. @WPXI<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/9Qd91fnMqh<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Andrew Havranek (@Andrew_Havranek) May 30, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n While speaking at the event, Trump shared his belief that Rudolph will start for the team this fall. <\/p>\n \u201cI think he\u2019s gonna get a big shot, he\u2019s tall, he\u2019s handsome, got a great arm, and I have a feeling he\u2019s gonna be the guy,\u201d he said, per The Athletic<\/a>. <\/p>\n As photos and video of the rally spread on social media, some Steelers fans reached out to the team to criticize its association with Trump. <\/p>\n In the Monday letter, Steelers leaders said they \u201cappreciate\u201d that fans shared their thoughts, but said the players weren\u2019t representing the team. <\/p>\n \u201cOur alumni and current players make their own individual decisions that reflect their views, and they do not necessarily represent the view of the entire Pittsburgh Steelers organization. Thank you again for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your passion and your continued support of the team,\u201d the letter read, in part, according to USA Today<\/a>. <\/p>\n The Steelers are not the first NFL franchise to be forced to navigate Trump-related drama this spring. <\/p>\n The Philadelphia Eagles navigated some issues of their own in April when the team visited the White House to celebrate winning the Super Bowl. <\/p>\n Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and several other players skipped the event, leading some to speculate that they didn\u2019t want to associate with Trump. <\/p>\n The White House said they had \u201cscheduling conflicts,\u201d as the BBC<\/a> reported at the time. <\/p>\n lol some people are really upset cause I played golfed and flew to the White House with the PRESIDENT. Maybe I just respect the office, not a hard concept to understand. Just golfed with Obama not too long ago\u2026and look forward to finishing my round with Trump ! Now ya get out my\u2026<\/p>\n \u2014 Saquon Barkley (@saquon) April 28, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Meanwhile, the Eagles\u2019 star running back, Saquon Barkley<\/a>, faced criticism on social media for appearing to be too comfortable hanging out with the president. Before the team\u2019s White House visit, Trump and Barkley played golf. <\/p>\n In a post on X on April 28, the running back told his critics to \u201cget out of (his) mentions,\u201d per CBS News<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cSome people are really upset cause I played (golf) and flew to the White House with the PRESIDENT,\u201d Barkley wrote. \u201cMaybe I just respect the office, not a hard concept to understand.\u201d<\/p>\n He added that he had previously played golf with former President Barack Obama, CBS News reported. <\/p>\n