Former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker defended former teammate Ben Roethlisberger after Joey Porter, another former Steelers star, went after the retired quarterback. During an appearance on Cameron Heyward\u2019s podcast during Super Bowl week, Porter called out Roethlisberger for \u201ctalking Steelers business.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harrison didn\u2019t appreciate Porter\u2019s comments. During Monday\u2019s airing of the \u201cDeebo & Joe<\/a>\u201d podcast with Joe Haden, the retired defender shared his opinion.<\/p>\n MORE: Former Steelers champion blasts Ben Roethlisberger in furious rant<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cMe, personally, I do not think Ben is a bad teammate,\u201d Harrison said.<\/p>\n Porter took issue with Harrison and Roethlisberger for breaking the \u201cbrotherhood\u201d by criticizing former coach Mike Tomlin during the 2025 NFL<\/a> season.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was a pure-out attack on Ben\u2019s character, and what I said about Mike was an attack on his coaching,\u201d Harrison said. \u201cTwo different things. That\u2019s more breaking the brotherhood than what Ben said. Ben said, \u2018I think I feel like maybe Tomlin should move on.\u2019 Like, come on, bruh. That\u2019s what he said.<\/p>\n Jan 12, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin during the first half of an AFC Wild Card Round game against the Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images<\/p>\n \u201cI went way harder than that,\u201d Harrison added. \u201cBut (Porter) went on (the attack) because he, obviously, has a personal issue with Ben that hasn\u2019t been resolved.\u201d<\/p>\n MORE: Mike McCarthy was wrong coaching hire for Pittsburgh Steelers<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Oct 22, 2006; Atlanta, GA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback (7) Ben Roethlisberger on the bench in street clothes after he left the game after getting injured in the third quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome. The Falcons defeated the Steelers in overtime 41-38. Mandatory Credit: Photo by Dale Zanine USA TODAY Sports Copyright (c) 2006 Dale Zanine<\/p>\n Additionally, James Harrison touched on Porter calling Roethlisberger a \u201cbad teammate.\u201d He explained that \u201cBig Ben\u201d evolved throughout his career, and he started seeing things in a different light than when he won a Super Bowl at 23.<\/p>\n \u201cHell yeah, that\u2019s going to stroke my ego and give me delusions of grandeur. But over time, (Roethlisberger) has matured and grown up. You don\u2019t value the same things you did at 23 as you do at 30. Hell, I\u2019m a different person at 47 than I was at 45. And I\u2019m a far worse person at 40 than I was at 45.\u201d<\/p>\n As the Steelers enter a new era with Mike McCarthy as head coach, the stars of the past engaged in a verbal battle that may not have a winner.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n OLYMPICS: <\/strong>2026 Winter Olympics medal count, standings entering February 17<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n NFL: <\/strong>Tyreek Hill makes hilarious first move after Dolphins release<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n CBB: <\/strong>2026 college basketball rankings, updated AP Top 25 after Week 15<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n MLB: <\/strong>Tigers infielder from Taiwan apologizes to Koreans after trash talk goes viral<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n SPORTS MEDIA: <\/strong>College Hall of Famer, father of Chicago Bulls coach, dies<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n VIRAL: <\/strong>Chloe Kim \u2018obsessed\u2019 with $100k gift from NFL star Myles Garrett after Olympics<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The post James Harrison defends Ben Roethlisberger after Joey Porter\u2019s attack<\/a> appeared first on The Big Lead<\/a>.<\/p>\nJames Harrison explained why people resented Ben Roethlisberger <\/h2>\n
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