Mason Rudolph Finally Takes Shot At Steelers Great Ben Roethlisberger

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been in disarray offensively ever since Ben Roethlisberger hung up his cleats. At one point, some Steelers fans actually believed Mason Rudolph could be his heir apparent. That never happened, but Rudolph did show flashes of solid quarterback play during a few of his starts.

Still, Rudolph never fully lived up to what the Steelers hoped he would be when they selected him in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft. A lot was made about the relationship between Roethlisberger and Rudolph. It was known to be rocky, but not because Roethlisberger disliked Rudolph. Instead, Roethlisberger was late in his career, focused on winning, and believed Pittsburgh could have drafted a weapon rather than a quarterback.

Roethlisberger later said he planned to mentor Rudolph, but Rudolph didn’t appear to want or need that guidance. On Wednesday, former Steelers great Joey Porter Sr. slammed Roethlisberger, calling him a bad teammate and saying people inside the Steelers organization know it but protected him. 

Porter also added that Roethlisberger has no place speaking on Steelers business, despite their Super Bowl success together. What is even more shocking is the fact that Rudolph quickly commented on the post, making a subtle but clear statement that revealed exactly where he stands.

"Go off [Joey Porter Sr.]," Rudolph said.

Rudolph is clearly agreeing with Porter’s critique of his former teammate. Typically, cryptic comments aren’t very telling of true intent, but in this case, the message was hardly cryptic at all. Rudolph commented "go off" on a video of Porter absolutely slamming Roethlisberger. 

Porter even went as far as to say Roethlisberger isn’t a good person, a shocking statement that adds serious nuance to a relationship few knew was rocky, referring to Porter and Roethlisberger.

Many assumed Rudolph and Roethlisberger weren’t especially close, but based on how Roethlisberger framed things publicly, it sounded as though he offered help and Rudolph simply didn’t want it. The truth is, no one truly knows what happened behind closed doors outside of the players involved. Now, however, two former teammates who played with Roethlisberger have spoken out, and it didn’t stop there.

Former Steelers safety Mike Mitchell, who also played alongside Roethlisberger, replied as well, saying Porter was "talking that talk." While that comment is more difficult to decipher, it is still fair to assume Mitchell was not backing his former quarterback.

Steelers Fans Can't Fully Judge Ben Roethlisberger Off These Comments

While the recent comments from Porter, Rudolph, and Mitchell have grabbed headlines, Steelers fans need to keep perspective. Critiques from former teammates do not tell the full story of Roethlisberger’s career or his impact on the organization. Every locker room has tensions, disagreements, and personalities that clash, especially when a team is built around a superstar quarterback.

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