Former Steelers RB Rashard Mendenhall Puts Teammate Ryan Clark On Blast For 2017 Comment

Former Pittsburgh Steelers running back, Rashard Mendenhall recently posted a comment on X that ignited a firestorm of controversy. It also brought more negative attention to a man who has already been on the receiving end of a million angry comments since 2011. That was when Mendenhall fumbled the ball during a critical moment in Super Bowl XLV against the Green Bay Packers. Now Mendenhall is talking to his former teammate Ryan Clark about that tweet and about how Clark himself made a comment that greatly hurt the former running back. 

Mendenhall and Clark were both members of that 2010 Steelers squad that went 12-4 that year led by future Hall of Fame quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and their incredible defense. The Steelers' defense allowed the fewest points in the NFL that season with an average of 14.5 per game. 

Mendenhall came into Pittsburgh with a lot of hopes and the fans had a lot of expectations, but he had mostly an average career. Interestingly enough, 2010 was arguably his best season. He rushed 324 times for 1,273 yards and scored 13 touchdowns. However, when the team got to the Super Bowl, he had only 63 yards and one touchdown. He also had the critical fumble. 

Steelers' Rashard Mendenhall Vents His Frustration About Ryan Clark's Comment

Over the years, almost without fail when someone asks why the Steelers lost that championship game, the answer is because Mendenhall fumbled the ball. Apparently, Clark himself made such a comment and Mendenhall has been harboring resentment over it for years. 

He recently spoke to Clark, who is now an NFL analyst and commentator, on Clark's podcast, The Pivot Podcast. 

"This is from me to you. This was a few years ago, you were on a talk show, probably like 2017, and you said something. It seemed like it was in the cause and course of the show that had an effect greater than I think you may have realized. I'm in the center of this where you were in an argument about the Steelers in that game and you said, 'We know what happened, Mendenhall lost the game' and you kept going. 'Mendenhall fumbled the ball, he lost the game.' I know you're on there doing TV and playing TV, but that had a real ramification."

Mendenhall went on to say that this hurt more than other comments. Prior comments he heard were from fans or from random people, not his teammates. He said he was already a bit sensitive because rumor had swirled that even his teammates knew Mendenhall cost them the game. 

He told Clark that the two of them had never had a single issue, but he felt he had to bring this to him when he came on the show. Mendenhall said for him, when he heard Clark make that flippant comment on TV, it validated all those rumors he hadn't bought into before. 

"Well, I'll say this. I certainly believe that's a part of why we lost the game," explained Clark. "I don't believe that one play loses the game. I believe that if I catch the interception that I planned for two weeks when Greg Jennings scores a touchdown, that helps us win the game. I believe if I don't block Keenan Lewis on the backside when Greg Jennings catches the ball on third down, that we win the game. There are definitely other plays in that game that I replay all the time."

Clark shared with Mendenhall that he actually uses film of that Super Bowl on his show Inside the NFL. There were a lot of mistakes and missing components in that game that contributed to the loss. Roethlisberger did not look like himself at all. He threw for 263 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. The Steelers' defense wasn't as tough as it had been all season. 

Even though it takes a whole team to lose a game, much of the blame has always been pointed at Mendenhall. Not to mention that he is an easy target, given his proclivity to post inflammatory comments on social media. These comments from Clark, more than anyone else, really hurt his feelings.  

"I will say this. If it had that effect on you, I don't remember the moment, but it had that effect on you, I'm sorry. Especially if it had that effect where people continued to attack you. And in honesty, from a defensive perspective, do I feel like at that point with the way you were playing the game, with the way the defense was playing the game, if we don't fumble there, we win? Absolutely. I do feel that way. I can look you in your eye and say that one play didn't lose the game. So I do apologize how that affected you and especially if what I said made other people treat you a certain way," said Clark as he shook Mendenhall's hand.

Mendenhall seems relieved to have cleared the air and Clark, who is never one to mince words, appears glad to have the opportunity to explain his thinking. Hopefully, this brings Mendenhall some closure that he clearly needs. However, he has long presented as a man who battles with some inner demons and this feels like another link in that chain. 

What do you think about Mendenhall's frustration with Clark? What cost the Steelers the Super Bowl against the Packers? Click to comment below.

#SteelerNation