The Pittsburgh Steelers had one of the most prolific offenses in the NFL during the 2010s, and a lot of that had to do with the weapons the organization had on that side of the ball. Ben Roethlisberger was one of the best quarterbacks in the league, Antonio Brown was arguably the best wide receiver in the league, and the rushing attack was always strong behind one of the best offensive lines in the AFC. Le'Veon Bell could do it all out of the backfield, and the franchise did a pretty good job bringing in other wide receivers to produce behind Brown.
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Former Steelers stars Ben Roethlisberger (right) and Antonio Brown (left) at the Pro Bowl.
Brown was actually one of the best the league had ever seen at his position, and then his career shifted. He had a falling out with Roethlisberger and the organization during the 2018 season, and it wound up being his last year in Pittsburgh. He wanted to be traded, and he was dealt to the then-Oakland Raiders for two draft picks.
Ryan Switzer was one of the receivers behind Brown on the roster during the 2018 season, and he recently engaged with some fans on social media. He praised Roethlisberger for the way he performed during the 2018 season, but he didn't seem to fond of Brown as he responded to a fan that said the polarizing receiver deserved to win Team MVP in 2018.
AB disappeared on us the last week of the season while we were fighting for a playoff spot.
— Ryan Switzer (@Switz) June 26, 2025
Switzer clearly didn't love the way Brown went about his business in Pittsburgh. The former receiver got into an argument with Roethlisberger and skipped practices at the end of the season which led to him missing the regular season finale. This was all while Pittsburgh was trying to fight its way into the playoffs, and the franchise wound up missing the postseason.
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Pittsburgh Steelers former wide receiver, Ryan Switzer.
The Steelers finished the 2018 season with a record of 9-6-1, and that wasn't good enough to make the playoffs. The team won the final game of the regular season without Brown, but it is fair to assume the organization might have performed better had there not been a ton of drama within the locker room with Brown. Pittsburgh lost four of its final six contests during that season, which essentially put the nail in the coffin when it came to the franchise's hopes for playoff success.
Brown still had a great year statistically. He played in 15 games, caught 104 passes for nearly 1,300 yards. He also recorded a career high in touchdown receptions with 15. He lost the Team MVP Award to JuJu Smith-Schuster, which also caused some issues within the organization.
Steelers' Former Wide Receiver Defends Ben Roethlisberger
A lot has been said about Roethlisberger throughout his career, and he has never quite gotten the respect he's deserved. There was an image painted of the quarterback that most believed, which suggested he didn't work as hard as other quarterbacks in the league. Switzer shut that notion down on social media on Thursday as he stood up for his former quarterback.
I always never understood the narrative that @_BigBen7 didn’t work hard, watch film, etc. He knew what we were playing & where to attack it better than anyone I was around. Most of what he said was going to happen during the week happened on Sunday.
— Ryan Switzer (@Switz) June 26, 2025
Switzer and Roethlisberger were on the same team for two seasons, but the two didn't get to play with one another a ton. They had the 2018 season together where Switzer caught 36 passes for over 250 yards and a touchdown, but their time together in 2019 was cut short.
Peter Diana / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger is sacked by the Seattle Seahawks in game that he was forced to leave with injury.
Roethlisberger suffered a season-ending injury in 2019, and Switzer was not on the field as much during the 2019 season.
What do you think of the remarks from Switzer? Let us know in the comments below!
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