New Development Has Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger At Risk Of Not Being First Ballot Hall Of Famer

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had anything but a quiet offseason. After their embarrassing Wild Card home loss to the Houston Texans, the Steelers fired long-time head coach Mike Tomlin despite his overwhelming popularity with Steelers players. The Steelers took their time in hiring their next head coach, whom many expected to be Chris Shula of the Los Angeles Rams. However, the Steelers went another route, hiring former Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys head coach, Mike McCarthy.

The Steelers have now sorted out their coaching staff for next season, but are still awaiting the decision of future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers, whom they have reportedly given about a month to decide. Somehow, none of the aforementioned stories are the most talked-about when it comes to the Steelers, as team legends Ben Roethlisberger and Joey Porter Sr. have a feud that puts some of the best Steelers teams of all-time under a different light. NFL Insider Mike Florio gave his thoughts on the feud on 93.7 The Fan.

"If you interviewed all of Big Ben's teammates over time, it would not be 50/50. More would agree with Joey Porter. If Hall of Fame voters take to former teammates, he may not be first ballot. If it's close, this is a possibility."

As former teammates and analysts weigh in on Porter calling Roethlisberger a bad teammate, there is certainly enough smoke for a fire. Roethlisberger will always be a Steelers legend among their fans, and for good reason. When you play 18 seasons with one team and win two Super Bowls in the process, your legacy is cemented among the fans and the franchise. Roethlisberger will always be considered a Steelers great and among the best quarterbacks of all-time. However, many of his teammates' opinions are a stark contrast to how fans view him as a whole.

Something else Florio mentioned that should be considered is that his former teammates hold very divided opinions on the veteran quarterback. While Florio believes that more would side with Porter regarding Roethlisberger not being a great teammate, there are also many "Big Ben" loyalists who view him as an amazing teammate. What may be the biggest question is how a team can have such different opinions about a teammate. While Tomlin was known as cold to the media, he was a true player's coach who could rally his teammates around one another and their common goals. 

Just how divided the locker room of these great Super Bowl-winning teams were around Roethlisberger is unknown. After all, he was the Steelers quarterback for 18 seasons as mentioned, it's reasonable that some disagreements will come along the way. However, the disdain that Porter and others have shown toward Roethlisberger goes well beyond a simple disagreement or even multiple disagreements, and speaks more to how they feel about him as a person.

Steelers Teammates' Opinions On Roethlisberger May Cost Him

As we've seen with former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, the Hall of Fame is never a sure thing. Belichick, despite being widely considered the greatest coach of all-time, was left off the Hall of Fame ballot in his first year eligible. Belichick will, without a doubt, be a Hall of Fame head coach one day, but the Hall of Fame voters took their shot to stick it to Belichick and leave him off in Year 1. As Florio mentioned, Hall of Fame voters may be influenced by what Roethlisberger's former teammates have said about him and do to him what they did to Belichick.

Whether any of this even matters is up for debate. At the end of the day, Steelers fans will remember "7" for his two Super Bowl wins and 18 years as their quarterback, showing insane durability and consistency in the process. However, when looking at his legacy, this will be more than a footnote.

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