Not everyone hates Ben Roethlisberger.
Following Joey Porter Sr.’s scorching critique of the former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback during Super Bowl week, James Harrison -- also criticized by Porter -- took Big Ben’s side in the squabble.
“Me, personally, I do not think Ben is a bad teammate,” Harrison said during an airing of the "Deebo & Joe" podcast with Joe Haden, which was posted Monday.
Porter accused Roethlisberger and Harrison of breaking the “brotherhood” by criticizing Mike Tomlin during the 2025 season. The former linebacker took it a step further in his attack on Big Ben, calling him a bad person and a bad teammate.
“That was a pure-out attack on Ben’s character, and what I said about Mike was an attack on his coaching,” Harrison said, via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “Two different things. That’s more breaking the brotherhood than what Ben said. Ben said, ‘I think I feel like maybe Tomlin should move on.’ Like, come on, bruh. That’s what he said.
“I went way harder than that,” Harrison added. “But (Porter) went on (the attack) because he, obviously, has a personal issue with Ben that hasn’t been resolved.”
Porter assailed Roethlisberger for being a bad teammate, notably refusing to sign gear for teammates. However, Harrison noted that Big Ben grew as he got older and wasn’t the same player closer to the end of his career.
“I have a good relationship with Ben,” Harrison said. “I can say this because I talked to Ben -- this is not going to be news to him -- but 'Seven' could be an (expletive). That’s facts. When Ben came in, this man went 13-1 as a rookie starter. The team was 15-1. His second season, the team won a Super Bowl. The youngest quarterback to ever do it, 23. That’s when 'Seven' was born.
“Hell yeah, that’s going to stroke my ego and give me delusions of grandeur. But over time, (Roethlisberger) has matured and grown up. You don’t value the same things you did at 23 as you do at 30. Hell, I’m a different person at 47 than I was at 45. And I’m a far worse person at 40 than I was at 45.”
Harrison wasn’t the only one to defend the star QB. Former Steelers guard David DeCastro spoke glowingly of Big Ben during an appearance on 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh on Monday.
“Everyone is entitled to their opinion,” DeCastro said. “I guess, you know, negativity seems to sell these days. But, you know, I loved playing with Ben -- for Ben, protecting him. You know, it was a big task. I just loved his energy. I mean, Ben’s the ultimate competitor, no matter what it is. Whether it’s corn hole, darts, pool, shooting -- playing horse, basketball. ... You miss getting those juices flowing and, you know, having a guy like that. That’s what you need as a quarterback. That energy, that will, that want to win. It was contagious, and I took a lot of pride in protecting a Hall of Fame quarterback.”
We have yet to hear from Big Ben on the hornet's nest that Porter stirred up in Pittsburgh.