Pittsburgh Steelers legend Ben Roethlisberger recently found himself on the receiving end of sharp rebukes from former teammate Joey Porter, who said the iconic quarterback was “not a good teammate.”
Porter also said Roethlisberger was “not a good person,” citing the latter’s supposed dismissive attitude in the locker room and lack of leadership.
Following Porter’s surprising remarks, the 43-year-old Roethlisberger opened up on his podcast about the personal changes he has been through.
“I think about my own life, and it reminded me of the transformation that I’ve gone through in my own life. That only comes from the grace of God and only comes from the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross,” said the six-time Pro Bowler.
“Being sanctified through Him, because I think we all have to grow up. We’re all immature at times, we’re all selfish, and that’s just part of what happened in the garden. The sin that is all of us. We’re all born inherently sinful and selfish.”
While Roethlisberger, who led the Steelers to two Super Bowl titles, did not directly mention Porter, it is hard not to link the timing of his reflection to his former teammate’s recent comments.
The future Hall of Famer, who’s well-beloved in Pittsburgh, stressed that he has leaned on his faith over the years, as it has helped him become a better person.
“I say this only through the grace of God that we can look back and be like, ‘Man, look how much I’ve changed.’ I’m proud of that. Now I like to think, as we mature and as we grow in our faith, I grow in my faith that it’s less about me,” added Roethlisberger.
Roethlisberger and Porter played together on the Steelers for three years. Roethlisberger ended his illustrious career in Pittsburgh in 2021, while Porter was released by the team in 2007.