‘The unwritten code of the locker room is being tested in Pittsburgh, as one Steelers legend has taken it upon himself to publicly defend Mike Tomlin from the criticism of his own former teammates. James Harrison has time and again disrespected his former head coach, Mike Tomlin, on his podcast. However, his former teammate, Joey Porter Sr. disagrees.

“They (James and Ben) tell the version of the story in Pittsburgh that they want to tell,” said Joey Porter Sr. on the Not Just Football with Cam Heyward podcast via YouTube. “So their version is predicated on making them look good on how they see it during their time.”

Having spent time with both players at the Steelers, Porter Sr. was confident that his take on things was different. He also revealed that he’d turned down other appearances for the same reason.

“Me and James talk for like two hours, ” the former linebacker added. “He know I disapproved of everything he said. He was like, “Come to my podcast.” I said, “Nah, I’m not gonna come to your pod because I’m not trying to go to your pod to make you look bad. But cuz if I’m on there when that question is asked, I’m gonna tell the truth.”

The very fact that the truth could be different than Big Ben’s or Deebo’s version of things was enough to clarify that he stood strongly in support of his former coach. From 1999 to 2006, Porter overlapped with Ben Roethlisberger for three seasons between 2004 and 2006, including the quarterback’s rookie year.

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His run also intersected with James Harrison for five seasons from 2002 to 2006, a period when Porter was an established defensive force while Harrison was still growing into the edge rusher he would soon become.

A few weeks back, Harrison blasted Tomlin, saying that he is not a Hall of Fame coach. It was not a sudden statement, as he backed it up with a valid reason.

“I can’t give him a Hall of Fame coach because he hasn’t made disciples,” Harrison said on Deebo & Joe via X.

In the 19 long years as the Steelers HC, Tomlin never had a disciple who later became a head coach. Therefore, his coaching tree has been called into question.. His postseason record also stands out to many as not impressive, losing his last seven playoff games.

That being said, none of his 19 seasons in Pittsburgh were losing seasons, with a 193–114–2 record. He ranks second in the most consecutive non-losing seasons as an HC. He won a Super Bowl and took the franchise to 13 playoffs.

Likewise, Porter Sr. called out Harrison for disrespecting Tomlin. Porter never played under Tomlin, but he has massive respect for him. The Steelers released him in 2007, shortly after Mike Tomlin replaced Bill Cowher. Post-retirement, though, he got the chance to work with Tomlin as a defensive assistant and outside linebackers coach.

Under Tomlin, Harrison won Super Bowl LIII, earned all four of his All-Pro nods, five consecutive Pro Bowl calls, and the NFL DPOY. Porter Sr. was careful enough to point it out during the podcast.

“How can you say he’s not a great coach when everything that happened good to you [Harrison] in football was under his watch?” Porter Sr. said.

While Joey Porter Sr. may have defended Tomlin against Harrison’s claim, there are others who are unhappy with the former coach as well.

Mike Tomlin’s sudden departure was not as sudden as it appears

Mike Tomlin’s sudden departure after a loss to the Houston Texans in the Wild Card Round raised a lot of eyebrows. But the recent reports revealed that it could have been a calculated move. He had been planning it for a couple of years, and only two people knew about it: Jay Glazer and Ronde Barber.

“I think he’s done,” Glazer said on the Jim Rome Show. “He told me and Ronde Barber two years ago. He was like, ‘Hey, this is my plan. You can’t say this. Don’t show my hand. I’m telling you, you’re my guy.’ Last year, I thought he was gonna hang it up. He decided on one more. I thought he was gonna be done, so until it happens, it happens. But this year, kind of Week 8, I’m like, ‘Hey man, anybody that’s gonna change your mind?’ ‘Nope.’ Okay, I said, ‘Can I report it this week?’ ‘Nope.'”

Tomlin signed a contract extension in 2024, which would keep him in Pittsburgh until 2027. Based on the reports, he was sure that he would leave. However, he refrained from letting the owner, Art Rooney II, or Omar Khan know about it.

The Super Bowl-winning HC’s decision shocked the Steelers’ owner, as he mentioned during his statement following Tomlin’s departure. Still, his achievements are being overshadowed by this decision, and the Steel City fans will not be happy about it.