Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro OLB T.J. Watt pushes back on Ben Roethlisberger's comments about team culture

It seems like a forever ago, but there was a time just a couple of months prior when the sky seemed to be falling in Pittsburgh.  There were questions about everything from the QB position (which still persist) to Mike Tomlin's future in Pittsburgh.  But the noise was quieted after the Steelers won out and […]

Rob Gregson — NFL News Writer
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Jan 3, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) talks with outside linebacker T.J. Watt (90) on the sidelines against the Cleveland Browns during the fourth quarter at Heinz Field. The Steelers won 26-14. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

It seems like a forever ago, but there was a time just a couple of months prior when the sky seemed to be falling in Pittsburgh. 

There were questions about everything from the QB position (which still persist) to Mike Tomlin's future in Pittsburgh. 

But the noise was quieted after the Steelers won out and reached the playoffs. 

And up until T.J. Watt was in Vegas for the Super Bowl, many had forgotten all about the outside noise, with Watt being reminded about one tne team's most notable critics:

Watt Finally Responds to Big Ben

“At the end of the day, it’s all about the guys in the locker room and it’s hard for people on the outside to truly get a feel for what’s going on on the inside,” Watt said in a Feb. 8 interview with Yahoo Sports’ Jason Fitz, in response to a question about Ben Roethlisberger's comments from the season. 

“It just feels like [certain guys aren’t in it for the team, they’re in it for themselves], it just feels like something that’s kind of been lost on this team a little bit,” Roethlisberger said on the Dec. 11 episode of his “Footbahlin” podcast. “It feels like ‘the Steeler way’ is just not [there]. … Maybe the tradition of the Pittsburgh Steelers is done. Maybe it needs to be formed a new kind of way. I don’t know.”

So look, Watt was put in a tough spot when posed with the question. Sure he probably didn't want to throw Ben under the bus, but his current teammates matter more than his former ones, especially when they aren't the ones fighting tooth an nail on a daily basis. 

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