Joey Porter is not mincing words when it comes to Big Ben.
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AP Photo/Brett Carlsen, File
The former Steelers All-Pro linebacker lit into Ben Roethlisberger during an interview on Cam Heyward's "Not Just Football" show, saying the two-time Super Bowl champ wasn't just difficult behind the scenes — he straight-up "broke the brotherhood."
"The stuff that 7 did that we don't talk about is crazy... he's just not a good teammate," Porter said. "He knows that. Anybody in the Steelers building knows that. But we protected him. Because I only got one Super Bowl ring, and that was my quarterback. So do I love my quarterback? Yeah. But is he a good person? No."
Porter said he stopped short of giving full details, but pointed to a moment early in Roethlisberger's career when the rookie QB refused to sign something for Aaron Smith's family, and it sparked a meeting among the vets.
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"So how do you think that monster turned out once all the vets were gone?" Porter asked.
The former assistant coach also said Roethlisberger became unapproachable during his time on staff under Mike Tomlin.
In the comment section of the interview clip, several current and former Steelers backed Porter up. Mason Rudolph told him to "go off," former safety Mike Mitchell said he was "talking that talk," and ex-lineman Mike Adams added an "Amen."
Back in December, Roethlisberger said the team might need to "clean house" and move on from Tomlin, who stepped down weeks later. Porter clearly took note.
"He came from an era where they just give you a C," Porter said. "Because if he wasn't a captain, he'd probably have a hissy fit. But nobody's voting for him. He didn't have captain qualities."
