Steelers' David DeCastro Fights Back Against Joey Porter Sr. In Rare Public Comments

The Pittsburgh Steelers have once again not stayed out of headlines in an offseason. While the 2026 version of the NFL's long break has just recently started, the Steel City has seen a coaching change for the first time in nearly two decades. On top of that, some well-known retired players of the franchise have recently called out future Hall of Fame quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. The opinions out in the open all started when Joey Porter Sr., said that his former signal-caller was a bad teammate overall. The comments came on an episode of Not Just Football with Cam Heyward. 

It was especially strange that the comments from Porter came just a couple of months after he was inducted into the Steelers' Honor alongside Roethlisberger and Maurkice Pouncey. There have been a plethora of responses to the words that Porter uttered, as some have backed the linebacker up, while others have completely denounced what he said about Roethlisberger.

A rather quiet, but important player for Pittsburgh during the 2010s was offensive guard David DeCastro. He has stayed out of the public eye since his retirement, but he hopped on 93.7 The Fan on Monday morning to talk a little bit about his life now, as well as the current state of the Steelers. While he doesn't follow football too intently, he certainly heard about what Porter said. He responded by implying that negativity is part of the media world today, and said he loved playing with the legend.

"Yeah, it is what it is. Everyone's entitled to their opinion. I guess, negativity seems to sell these days, but I loved playing with Ben, for Ben, protecting him," DeCastro said. "You know, Ben was — I just loved his energy. Ben's the ultimate competitor no matter what it is."

DeCastro was very clear in stating right off the bat that negativity seems to sell nowadays. This would imply that he believes the comments from Porter were specifically for attention. This shouldn't come off as a surprise, as Porter has always been known to run his mouth. The two-time All-Pro offensive lineman continued to defend the man he used to protect.

"He's a guy when you get in the huddle and he's got that energy that, you know, we used to do the head-tap before the game," DeCastro stated. "It was a pregame thing. [He'd] go around and tap everyone's head. I mean, he's just — you miss getting those juices flowing and having a guy like that. That's what you need in a quarterback; that energy, that will, that want to win. It was contagious and [I] took a lot of pride in protecting him. Hall of Fame quarterback." 

This continues a trend of Roethlisberger's former offensive linemen sticking up for him. DeCastro also played with the two-time Super Bowl champion toward the end of his career, and no one has ever denied that the quarterback had some stuff to work on during the early portions of his professional tenure.

Roethlisberger has yet to publicly respond to Porter's accusations, but fans can expect that he will at some point during an episode of his podcast. In an offseason that has seen a rare coaching change in Pittsburgh, the narrative has quickly shifted to former teammates wanting to bring up things that may or may not have happened 20 or so years ago. Overall, DeCastro's defense of Roethlisberger and slight dig at Porter are noteworthy because of his typical quite nature.

Steelers Miss DeCastro's Presence On The Offensive Line

Many believe that DeCastro retired a bit young, as he hung up his cleats at just 31 years of age. However, he was dealing with chronic ankle issues at the time, which most certainly contributed to him moving on. His fierce nature in both run and pass blocking is sorely missed. He was one of the most consistent linemen in the NFL during his career, but Pittsburgh may have finally found his long-term replacement in Mason McCormick.

#SteelerNation