‘He Has Every Right to Do It’ — Steelers Legend Ben Roethlisberger Makes Opinion Clear on T.J. Watt’s Sideline Blowup at DC Patrick Graham
‘He Has Every Right to Do It’ — Steelers Legend Ben Roethlisberger Makes Opinion Clear on T.J. Watt’s Sideline Blowup at DC Patrick Graham
Priyanshu Choudhary Wed, October 7, 2026 at 4:07 AM UTC
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Aug 25, 2019; Nashville, TN, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) and Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt (90) before the coin toss against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. © Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
T.J. Watt has established himself as one of the best defenders in the league and a critical part of the identity of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
As a result, his former teammate and another franchise icon, Ben Roethlisberger, doesn’t see a ton of problems with Watt’s frustrations boiling over on the sideline after the former Defensive Player of the Year jawed at defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.
Ben Roethlisberger Gives T.J. Watt a Pass
A two-time Super Bowl champion with the Steelers, Roethlisberger shared locker rooms with Watt near the end of his career, from 2017 to 2021. Now, half a decade later, he is established as one of the best players and leaders on the team.
As a result, on this week’s episode of his “Footbahlin” podcast, Roethlisberger seemed fairly content with the idea of Watt going after his DC. Moreover, he believed it was the eight-time Pro Bowler’s responsibility to let his coaches know if things weren’t working.
“I think the fact that he gets on there, he’s got every right to do it. He’s a leader. He’s a captain. I assume he’s a captain. He should be. I think he’s a Hall of Fame guy. He’s making plays. He is a bright spot for this team. He has every right to do it.”
For Big Ben, the fact that this was an isolated incident made it more digestible. Rather than controversy, he believes it could inspire the locker room as a whole to be more accountable to one another.
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“Because he doesn’t do it that often, it’s going to create headway, right? You see other guys, other captains on the team. They may not be on the headset, but screaming at guys and yelling, and they highlighted that during the game this week, too.”
Moreover, he believes the coaching staff won’t dismiss Watt’s concerns. “I think it was probably taken with some open ears. Sometimes you get guys that holler or try and lead things, and it’s falling on deaf ears.”
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But he believes things are different with players of Watt’s calibre, adding, “I’m guaranteeing the coaches and players are like, ‘Okay, T.J., certain guys, they’re hollering. We gotta pay attention to this one.'”
It remains to be seen if the game can serve as a turning point in the Steelers’ season. At 2-2, they are far from a dominant team yet. The Watt-led unit ranks 14th in PFN’s Defense Impact Metric with a 75.5 grade, a middling number for a historically lauded franchise.
As a result, the exchange between Watt and Graham on the sideline could have been a direct result of that slow start. But add Aaron Rodgers and head coach Mike McCarthy seemingly cussing each other out to the mix, and the franchise seems to be in outright disarray.
The hope has to be that those incidents can help them come together and function more seamlessly moving forward. But if things don’t turn around in the coming weeks, the season could quickly get out of control for the Steelers.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
Source: “AOL Sports”
