Ever since former linebacker Joey Porter openly labelled the two-time Super Bowl champion Ben Roethlisberger a bad teammate and an even worse person, several current and former Steelers players have taken sides to either support or criticize him. And now, former Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown and offensive tackle Zach Banner have also shared where they stand.

“Big Ben is a great teammate, one of the best ones to have! You’ve got to earn his respect before he opens up; coming in talking won’t get his attention! Take it from a six-round draft pick,” Brown noted on X.

Brown and Roethlisberger spent nine seasons together in Pittsburgh from 2010 to 2018. During that stretch with the Steelers, they built a connection that defined Sundays at Acrisure Stadium for Steelers Nation. Their partnership produced 837 completions and 74 touchdowns, numbers that place them among the most productive duos in league history.

After Brown, Zach Banner also stepped in to defend his former quarterback.

“Ben, aka 7, is one of the best big bros in football I’ve ever had. Regardless of being a future HOF talent…” he said. “You want to air out dirty laundry you’ve been holding onto, then fine… Be your own man…”

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Banner made it clear that disagreements are fair, but personal attacks cross a line.

“But when you attack someone’s character and question them as a person and not as a football player. Then you’d better be perfect in all cylinders of life. And you’re not.”

He added that criticism of Coach Tomlin follows the same rule. He praised Porter’s past mentorship in the Burgh, yet he said it is disappointing to see football disagreements turn personal.

This entire situation traces back to Roethlisberger suggesting the Steelers should clean house. That comment sparked Porter’s response.

“What makes it crazy for me is to watch those two talk like that and really act like we don’t have the real receipts of how this really works,” Porter said.

He argued that the way stories were told, it seemed like Tomlin did nothing for them, which he flatly rejects.

Roethlisberger still remains one of the greatest quarterbacks in franchise history. He leads the organization in passing yards and touchdowns and delivered championships to the Steel City. However, if you ask Porter, Ben was never a good teammate.

Joey Porter Sr. explains why Ben Roethlisberger was a bad teammate

Porter shared history with Ben Roethlisberger from 2004 to 2006 as teammates and later as a coach from 2014 to 2018.

“He’s not a good teammate. Won a Super Bowl with him, but the person—he’s just not a good teammate,” Porter said.

He admitted he loved his quarterback but insisted people inside the building knew the truth and protected him. On Cam Heyward’s podcast, Porter also shared an example where the quarterback refused to sign memorabilia for teammates.

“When he first did it to Chris Hoke, I was like, ‘Damn, that’s messed up, man.’ I grabbed it from Hoke, took it over there, and told him to sign it,” Porter said. “But then, when he did that to Aaron Smith, now I got to have a meeting [with Roethlisberger]. Like you’re a rookie, you’re a young guy.”

According to Porter, that incident forced him to step in as a leader inside the locker room at Acrisure Stadium. ESPN reported that Ben Roethlisberger’s representatives declined to comment on the incident. And perhaps that’s why several of his former teammates backed Porter’s opinion.

Porter also called out Harrison for discussing private talks with Tomlin on the “Deebo & Joe” podcast.

“You think the head coach didn’t have his hand in making that player? So when you say he did nothing for you, that’s crazy,” Porter said.

He then repeated his frustration about taking shots at someone who helped shape a career. It looks like this feud inside the Steel City is only growing louder.