Ben Roethlisberger Shouts Out James Harrison During Steelers Drama

The Pittsburgh Steelers legend gave love to another superstar as the two are the center of some franchise drama.

Jan 16, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) throws a pass against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half in an AFC Wild Card playoff football game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH -- There has been plenty of drama surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason, and for the most part, it's not current players but rather those who are retired.

For those who missed it, several former and current players have made their thoughts known on former players calling out Mike Tomlin. At the top of the criticism list is James Harrison and Ben Roethlisberger, who got the brunt of a rant by Joey Porter Sr. about the situation.

"The s*** 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 Cam Heyward's podcast. "Because if we talking Steelers business, his a** is fould of all foul. The s*** that he did is foul of all foul. He's not a good teammate. Won a Super Bowl with him, But the person? He's just not a good teammate. He knows that. Anybody in the Steeler building knows that. 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."

Maybe Roethlisberger heard it, or maybe he didn't, but he certainly raised eyebrows with his latest public appearance.

Big Ben Shouts Out James Harrison

Roethlisberger was interviewed during the Professional Bull Riders at PPG Arena over the weekend and gave his former linebacker some love.

"These guys are unbelievable. I haven’t seen this much muscle this close since James Harrison was in the weight room,” Roethlisberger said. “These guys are taking beatings and limping out of here. I’m nervous for them. It’s so fun to watch."

Steelers legend Ben Roethlisberger meets the Toughest Sport on Dirt 🤝 pic.twitter.com/lvKMiuZwHY

— PBR (@PBR) February 15, 2026

Whether or not Big Ben knew what was happening, he wasn't wrong. Harrison was always known as the scariest person in the room during his time with the Steelers. Really, that hasn't changed much during his time off the field, either.

Will the Drama End?

It feels like Porter's words made their way around the internet quickly, with several players agreeing with him and others not agreeing with him.

Either way, the Steelers have a way of roping these things in. So there's a strong chance that even if everyone has some beef right now, it's going to fade into nothing over time.

Roethlisberger has not publicly addressed the criticism to this point. It's unknown if he plans to and what approach he'll take if he ever does.

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