Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Fires Off Hilarious Warning To Browns' Myles Garrett Over Mason Rudolph

The Pittsburgh Steelers' former players seemed to have a great time at the 2025 Hall of Honor Dinner Ceremony on Sunday. Linebacker Joey Porter Sr., center Maurkice Pouncey, and of course quarterback Ben Roethlisberger were in attendance, along with many other legendary Black and Gold greats. Those three were officially enshrined into the Steelers Hall of Honor Class of 2025 during the dinner, marking a special moment in franchise history.

For the former players, the night served as an opportunity to catch up with old teammates, share stories, and reconnect away from the spotlight of game day. For fans following along on social media, it was just as special to see familiar faces back together, celebrating the legacy they helped build in Pittsburgh. Hearing directly from former players brought a strong sense of nostalgia and pride to Steeler Nation.

During the evening, Roethlisberger took time to share his thoughts about his close friend and longtime teammate, Pouncey. The former quarterback spoke warmly about their bond, reflecting on the years they spent together and the trust they built on and off the field. His comments offered fans a heartfelt reminder of the relationships that defined some of the most successful eras of Steelers football.

"This is the only part I didn't actually write down," Roethlisberger said. "I didn't know what to say other than thank you. I hate you for not coming back for one more year, but I still love you. You are a heck of a teammate, man. You made it fun. You made it challenging. You saw in those videos that Pouncey he knew how to toe that line a little extra. Not dirty. Just a little extra, but that is what made him special. That is what made him who he is and what made him a special football player. I meant it when I said I hated when you weren't on the football field."

It was a very emotional couple of minutes for Roethlisberger, who played alongside Pouncey for 11 seasons. The two shared a strong bond over more than a decade together, beginning with Pouncey’s rookie year in 2010 and lasting until the day he announced his retirement in February of 2021. Throughout that time, it was clear that Pouncey inspired tremendous confidence in his quarterback and took his role of protecting him very seriously.

Even now, it is not hard to see just how much that relationship still means to Roethlisberger, based on the way he spoke about his former center. The respect and appreciation were evident, highlighting how important Pouncey was both on and off the field during one of the most successful eras in Steelers history.

Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Believes Myles Garrett Was Lucky In 2019

Of course, Roethlisberger couldn’t resist taking one playful shot at his least favorite organization, the Cleveland Browns, adding a bit of humor to an otherwise heartfelt moment.

"I could probably go on for a long time about you, but we would have to keep stopping," Roethlisberger said. "Anytime that someone on the defense got under my skin, which wasn't very often, probably because they were doing something dirty or cheap, I knew that I could kind of pick a fight with him because Pouncey's got it. I didn't have to fight long because I knew Pounce was coming. I will just end it with this, Pounce. I am so so glad that in that Browns game when Myles Garrett took the helmet off, it wasn't me out there because I don't know what would have happened."

Roethlisberger also joked that he was thankful he wasn’t the one on the receiving end of Garrett’s helmet, implying that if it had been him, his “bodyguard” Pouncey would have handled things very differently.

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