Former Steeler rips Ben Roethlisberger for lack of leadership in Super Bowl XLV loss

Even 12 years removed from his infamous fumble late in Super Bowl XLV, former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall still resents who did and who didn't take the brunt of the criticism after the loss. 

Appearing on a recent episode of the "Raw Room" podcast, Mendenhall went off on his former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who threw two interceptions in the game, including a pick-six.

"It's always somebody else fault. If somebody getting credit, won't they take the fall too?" Mendenhall said. "I want to keep saying, 'I lost the game.' Ok, but like, where the f------ leader at? If he's winning all those Super Bowls how am I losing them?" 

The Steelers had fought back from a 21-10 first-half deficit against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers before the play in question and were driving for a potential go-ahead score. With the Steelers down 21-17 but already across midfield, Mendenhall coughed up the football on the first play of the fourth quarter after running into Packers linebacker Clay Matthews. 

Green Bay took a 28-17 lead eight plays later, destroying the momentum the Steelers had going. Pittsburgh did answer with a touchdown on its ensuing possession but ultimately ran out of time in a 31-25 loss. 

Roethlisberger stated after the game that the Steelers would've had a better chance if he'd "played better," and he has recently expressed regret over the loss. However, that wasn't enough for Mendenhall, who said Roethlisberger often acted above everyone else on the team and rarely took flak when things didn't go well. 

"How you allow yourself to be so far away from us to where you some type of hero-savior no matter what happens even if you don't have a great game," Mendenhall said. "We left out there to pick up the pieces." 

This isn't the first time Mendenhall has fired off a controversial statement over the Super Bowl fumble, as he's been relatively outspoken about what has to be the most crushing moment of his career. In June of 2022, Mendenhall took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to vent about the fumble, which he claimed wasn't a fumble after all. 

"I never fumbled that ball," Mendenhall tweeted. "I was separated from the ball, four yards into the backfield. That's the RB equivalent of a strip-sack. There's nothing I could've done about it." 

It can't be easy to be in Mendenhall's shoes. The play must still haunt him, and unhappy Steelers fans undoubtedly remind him of it regularly. However, while he seemingly wants the topic to disappear, his approach certainly isn't making it go away.