Steelers' Joey Porter Sr. Gives Honest Assessment On The Lack Of Accountability In Pittsburgh's Locker Room

The Pittsburgh Steelers took care of business in the most pivotal matchup of the year so far, defeating the Baltimore Ravens by a score of 27-22 in a game that gave the Steelers the lead in the AFC North and made the chances of them playing meaningful football in January much greater. The Steelers' defense sealed the game late with a pivotal sack, and as the team looks ahead to next Monday night against the Miami Dolphins, there is hope that the team can carry the positive momentum forward.

Despite the positives from the win against the Ravens, there are many that still wonder about the state of the team as a whole. Even with how pivotal the win against the Ravens was, there are some who wonder what is going on in the locker room with how tumultuous the season has been up to this point. The Steelers' main issue has been inconsistent performances all season, and one statement win against the Ravens will not be enough to change the minds of some that follow the team closely.

One of those who gave their opinions on the current state of the team is former Steelers linebacker Joey Porter Sr. when he made an appearance on the Not Just Football with Cam Heyward podcast. Porter gave a detail of his time in Pittsburgh, specifically under the former Steelers head coach, Bill Cowher, and his recollections laid out something notable about the state of the team now, compared to back when Porter played.

"The funny thing about playing for Cowher is like, it would literally be 53 grown a** men, and the other 10 that was on the practice squad," Porter said. "If we lost, walking in on Monday, you already knew exactly how many plays that you messed up on that could possibly make the big board. And you praying the whole time, 'Man I hope his a** don't show it,' 'cause you already know. But, once I seen that, the accountability of no matter who, it's like, he's not giving no passes."

Porter's comments about his time playing under Cowher brings to light something that has seemingly changed in the time between Cowher's tenure coaching, to now (under current Head Coach Mike Tomlin). It wouldn't be the first time that a former player has called for an increase in accountability under Tomlin, and for this kind of conversation to reappear again says a lot to how the culture within the locker room has possibly changed over the years. Porter's comments about how Cowher gave no passes does not appear to apply as much during Tomlin's tenure, as it seems certain star players, including Porter's son, current Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr., seem to get passes when they make mistakes these days. This is compared to no one escaping accountability when Cowher was the head coach. On the flip side, Tomlin has been known to discipline his players behind closed doors and not make it a public situation. Many question if that's still the case.

The difference in Tomlin's lack of holding players accountable publicly to back when Cowher did hold players accountable on and off the field could be part of the reason for the current team's inconsistent performances on both sides of the ball throughout the season. This is certainly something that the team needs to address as the 2025 season continues, especially with the Steelers finding themselves in prime playoff positioning. 

Steelers Need To Hold All Players Accountable Like Cowher Did

Porter's description of how Cowher held everyone accountable despite their seniority on the team is something the Steelers should look to improve on today if they're not already. Multiple players have addressed poor performances throughout the season, but this isn't something that was necessarily seen from Tomlin himself. The hope is that this can change as the season enters its most pivotal stretch.

What did you think about Porter's comments regarding the difference in accountability between Cowher and Tomlin? Let us know in the comments below.

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