Joey Porter: Ben Roethlisberger has power and uses it for himself

[Steely McBeam]

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Add Joey Porter to the list of former Steelers who don’t think highly of Ben Roethlisberger.

Porter was a teammate of Roethlisberger’s for three years, played against him (pictured), and then returned to Pittsburgh and was an assistant coach for the last five years. Discussing the feud between Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown on NFL Network, Porter said Roethlisberger put himself above the rest of the team.

Fellow NFL Network commentator Terrell Davis cited as an example that his former teammate, John Elway, would lobby the coaches to give the players more non-contact days during training camp. Davis said Elway did that not for himself — as a quarterback, he wasn’t getting hit in camp anyway — but because he could see that his teammates were getting beaten up and needed a break. Davis said Elway had power within the organization and would use it to help his teammates. Porter responded that Roethlisberger doesn’t do that kind of thing.

“It’s clear he has the power, and how he uses it? He uses it for him,” Porter said of Roethlisberger.

Porter indicated that the Steelers would be better off if Roethlisberger were more popular with his teammates.

“You want your locker room to love you,” Porter said.

There’s been no shortage of former Steelers saying this offseason that they did not love Roethlisberger.