Steelers Legends Are Taking Shots - and Ryan Clark Wants It to Stop
There’s no shortage of passion when it comes to the Pittsburgh Steelers - past or present. But lately, that passion has been spilling out in ways that feel more personal than productive.
Earlier this week, Joey Porter Sr. didn’t hold back in calling out former teammates Ben Roethlisberger and James Harrison for their public criticisms of the current Steelers squad. That lit the fuse, and soon enough, the back-and-forth between former Steelers turned into a full-blown verbal scrimmage.
It’s the kind of drama that could rival anything on cable TV - except these aren’t actors. These are Super Bowl champions, guys who once shared locker rooms, blood, sweat, and Lombardi trophies.
Now, Ryan Clark - another key piece of that championship era - is stepping in to play peacemaker. And he’s doing it with the kind of raw honesty that only someone who’s been in those trenches can bring.
“Fellas, do we need to bring our old asses to former player therapy?” Clark said in a candid video posted Thursday.
“Do we need counseling? Do we need to have these conversations?
Because we gotta stop, y’all. Not us.
Not the Steelers. We got the rings.
What are we doing?”
Clark’s message wasn’t rehearsed, and that’s what made it resonate. Here’s a guy who helped build one of the NFL’s most respected defenses, now watching that brotherhood unravel in public.
His frustration wasn’t just about the noise - it was about what that noise represents. A once-proud group of champions now sounding more like bitter exes than lifelong teammates.
“We’re the greatest organization ever - or at least we were,” Clark continued. “Now we’re just old, bitter [expletives] that talk about each other. Come on, y’all.”
The tension seems to stem from criticism aimed at head coach Mike Tomlin, who’s been the subject of debate throughout the Steelers’ rollercoaster season. That’s where things started to splinter. When former players speak up against the coach, others feel the need to defend him - and suddenly, it’s open season on each other’s legacies.
Clark, to his credit, owned his own past missteps. He recalled a moment early in Cam Heyward’s career when he told the young defensive lineman that he was a bust.
“How wrong was I?” Clark admitted.
“He’s freaking one of the greatest Steelers of his era.”
That kind of self-awareness is rare - and powerful. Clark wasn’t just airing grievances.
He was showing how easy it is for a single comment to shape someone’s entire perception of a teammate. If Heyward had only known Clark as the guy who doubted him, would he ever have seen the teammate who had his back?
Clark’s point was clear: these stories matter, and so does the way they’re told. When former players go public with their criticisms, it doesn’t just reflect on the team - it reflects on the bond they once shared. And when that bond starts to crack, it sends a message to the younger generation of Steelers watching from the sidelines.
“When you feel like a teammate wasn’t a great teammate, and they say something about somebody you revere, you tell the world how you felt about them as a teammate,” Clark said. “I did it with Tiki Barber. I kinda regret it now, but it was what I did.”
That’s the heart of it. Regret.
Reflection. A call to remember what made the Steelers great in the first place: unity, toughness, and respect - not just for the game, but for each other.
The Steelers of the 2000s and early 2010s weren’t just a team - they were a force. They brought championships to Pittsburgh, built legacies, and set the bar for what it meant to wear the black and gold. Now, as those players transition into life after football, the challenge is different: not beating opponents, but honoring the bond they built.
Clark’s message wasn’t about silencing criticism. It was about keeping family business in the family. Because when legends start tearing each other down, it’s not just their reputations that take a hit - it’s the legacy of a franchise that once prided itself on being more than just a team.
It was a brotherhood. And maybe it still can be - if the old heads can find a way to stop the fighting and remember what they built together.