There is no worse feeling than losing, plain and simple… Especially when you are an elite athlete competing at the highest level… So, I guess it shouldn’t come as a massive surprise that every NFL locker room is bound to have some drama when things take a turn for the worse performance wise for a team…
But sometimes, that tension spills over into the public eye in the worst way possible. From brutal post-game interviews to finger-pointing on social media, some players have no problem throwing their teammates right under the bus when things go south.
Let’s check 10 of the most heinous instances!
Find out to know how these NFL players made their teammates feel unwanted.
Ben Roethlisberger on Wide Receivers
Ben Roethlisberger is no stranger to controversy, and in 2018, he found himself at the center of another firestorm after publicly criticizing his receivers.
The incident came following a tough loss to the Denver Broncos, in which Roethlisberger threw a game-sealing interception, but, of course, Big Ben didn’t hesitate to point fingers.
He singled out Antonio Brown, blaming the star receiver for running the wrong route on the play, criticized rookie James Washington for dropping a pass earlier in the game, and even took a shot at offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner for not calling JuJu Smith-Schuster’s number enough on the final drive.
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Uhh, Ben—you are the quarterback—you can call whoever’s number you want! Especially in the closing minutes of a tight game.
By the end of the season, Brown was demanding a trade, and Roethlisberger’s leadership style was called into question. The Steelers’ locker room seemed divided, and Big Ben’s public airing of grievances was one of the key factors in the team’s eventual collapse.
Terrell Owens on Jeff Garcia
Now, we all know T.O. has always loved the spotlight, and he wasn’t about to let a little thing like respect get in the way of taking shots at his former quarterback.
He was a regular critique of his quarterback with the Niners, Jeff Garcia, while he was with the team, but once he set sail for Philly—it hit a whole new level of venom.
On HBO’s “Inside the NFL,” Owens said he would have posted better statistics in San Francisco if he had played with a strong-armed quarterback like his new Philadelphia teammate, Donovan McNabb. “He (Garcia) threw the ball behind me, out of bounds,” Owens said. “I left a lot of touchdowns on the field throughout the last two or three years.”
As we said, Owens has never been one to shy away from speaking his mind, and this was one of many moments where he made sure the world knew who he blamed for his shortcomings.
Zach Wilson on Jets' Defense
Zach Wilson’s brief tenure as the Jets’ starting quarterback was, to put it lightly, a disaster.
One of the lowest points came in 2022, after a brutal 10-3 loss to the New England Patriots, during which the Jets’ offense was non-existent, managing just 103 total yards and a measly two yards in the second half.
After the game, when asked if he felt the offense had let the defense down, Wilson’s response was short and stunning: “No,” essentially rebuking any responsibility for the loss and managing to cast aspersions onto a defense that allowed a mere 10 points!
Simply masterful! If only he were as good at playing quarterback as he was sheltering himself from blame in the media, then maybe he would’ve stuck around a little longer in the Big Apple.
Unsurprisingly, his comments reportedly rubbed more than a few of his teammates the wrong way.
Baker Mayfield on Duke Johnson Jr.
Long before Baker Mayfield’s revival with the Buccaneers, he was supposed to be “the guy” in Cleveland, where they drafted him first overall.
But there were times when a young quarterback was appointed into a leadership position, and the outspoken Mayfield may have missed the mark.
Like the way he handled his teammate, Duke Johnson Jr., an NFL vet’s trade request.
When speaking to reporters, Mayfield made his frustration that Johnson Jr. missed all of the voluntary portion of the offseason program while demanding a trade following the signing of Kareem Hunt known, saying:
“That’s something that we’ve been dealing with for a while. If we have guys that want to be here, they’ll show that they’ll voice that. Obviously, he’s going to handle his stuff how he wants, but you’re either on this train or you’re not. It’s moving. You can get out of the way, or you can join us, so it is what it is.”
But Mayfield did not stop there with his criticism.
“It’s self-inflicted,” Mayfield said of Johnson Jr.’s situation. “It is what it is. It’s not awkward for anybody else in this building. He’s got to do his job. He said he’s a professional. I hope he does his job.”
Apparently, his remarks did not sit well with his teammates… and rightfully so! That is the code in the NFL: players do not comment on others when they are trying to protect their livelihood and their pockets! Even when the competitor in them wants to!
Also Read: 5 Interesting NFL Records Of All Time
Brandon Marshall on Jay Culter
Our younger fans may not know it, but there was a time when former Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears star wide receiver Brandon Marshall was among the top names in the NFL at the position.
He wasn’t just a big, physical receiver either… he had a unique ability to build—or destroy the culture of a team! For a time there, he was the heart and soul of the offense for the Chicago Bears—he and Jay Cutler were best friends. The whole thing was beautiful…
And when things didn’t go well? Plot twist!
You better believe he wasn’t going to stay quiet, and it wasn’t uncommon for one of his teammates to end up in the crosshairs of his eruption.
Take, for example, the infamous incident that took place after a disheartening 27-14 loss to the Miami Dolphins in 2014.
Marshall reportedly erupted in the locker room to the point that reports could hear him yelling through the doors. And guess who was on the receiving end of his frustrations? None other than his longtime quarterback, Jay Cutler.
These two had history, having played together in both Denver and Chicago, but that didn’t stop Marshall from letting Cutler have it, allegedly calling him selfish.
He would go on to talk about the incident afterward on ESPN:
“There’s a culture in the league that you keep everything in-house,” Marshall said in an interview on First Take. “But for me, last year, I just felt like we we’re going on 10 years — nine, 10 years in the league — it’s time to get it. And I felt like I was the only one in the organization that had the huevos to hold him accountable. It didn’t go the way I wanted it to go, and I think there are some things I could take back.”
“This is the last time I’m going to talk about this,” Marshall said. “We didn’t talk much during the year. We still haven’t talked, and that’s sad. That’s sad. I don’t think there’s anybody in the league that had more chemistry than us.”
Well… I guess Marshall at least almost took responsibility for his questionable remarks to and about his teammate!
Richard Sherman on Russell Wilson
They may have split up by the time these comments were made, but they were so cutting we simply had to include them!
After all… When Richard Sherman talks, people listen. And when he throws shade, he does it with the precision he played cornerback with.
There was a time when it seemed like he and Russell Wilson were nothing more than teammates on a Seahawks squad that dominated the NFL and even took home a Super Bowl ring. But by the time Sherman moved on to the 49ers, it was clear the love was lost.
And there may have never been much of a relationship at all!
This became clear when a report alluded to “what Russell is capable of” prior to a match-up with Sherman’s 49ers. To which the surly cornerback responded, “Yeah, I’ve also seen him throw 5 picks in a game, so you see what he’s capable of on both sides of it. You understand that he can be defended.”
Sherman’s frustration with Wilson wasn’t just about interceptions, though. It was about the way the Seahawks seemed to prioritize their quarterback over their defense. This tension had been simmering for years, with rumors that Sherman and other defensive players felt Wilson was getting too much credit for the team’s success.
Aaron Rodgers on Young Packers Receivers
If you know anything about Aaron Rodgers, you know he doesn’t suffer in silence—especially when it comes to issues with his receivers.
Over the years, Rodgers has developed countless young receivers into stars, and he’s never been shy about holding his teammates to an extremely high standard.
In 2022, the rubber met the road when Rodgers was tasked to with leading a crop of young wideouts, and let’s just say he wasn’t impressed.
Rodgers publicly criticized the group, saying they were making too many mental mistakes and that if they didn’t clean it up, they wouldn’t be on the field. Talk about leadership!
Terrell Owens on Tony Romo
I guess Jeff Garcia can take some solace in the fact that he wasn’t the only quarterback catching shrapnel from Terrell Owens through the years.
Even a guy that Owens reportedly loved, like Tony Romo, could catch a stray!
The incident, unsurprisingly, stemmed from the wide receiver thinking he wasn’t getting enough attention during games.
Owens had always been a guy who wanted the ball in his hands, and after the loss, he made it clear that he felt the Cowboys would have had a better shot at winning if he’d been more involved. “I’m a competitor, and I want the ball,” Owens said. “Everybody recognized that I wasn’t really getting the ball in the first half.”
It’s not quite the same level of hate that he had for Garcia, but it definitely is not what you want your star receiver to do in the media after games.
Freddie Mitchell on Donavan McNabb
Freddie Mitchell is a name that doesn’t come up much in the conversation of all-time great receivers, but when it comes to trash-talking his own quarterback, he’s right up there with the best of them.
Mitchell’s relationship with Donovan McNabb was rocky, to say the least, as he never felt like McNabb trusted him enough… AKA—he wanted more targets!
And in the lead-up to Super Bowl 39, he let the world know how he felt, airing his and his old teammate’s dirty laundry, ranting about how he damn near babysat McNabb’s kids on Friday nights trying to get into his good graces!
“The things that I would do for him to try to win him over… I would damn near try to babysit his kids,” Mitchell said. “Stay in Friday nights and babysit his children so he could go out and have fun and come back home.
And it didn’t stop there, he would later tell TMZ Sports the Eagles quarterback was a jealous hater who cost him $40 million dollars… yeah, okay Freddie!
Kelvin Benjamin on Cam Newton
Kelvin Benjamin’s NFL career didn’t exactly go as planned, and in 2018, he decided to take some of his frustrations out on his former quarterback, Cam Newton.
After being traded from the Panthers to the Bills, Benjamin didn’t hold back in a candid interview, saying he would have been “more successful” if he had been drafted by a team with basically any other “accurate quarterback.”
Kelvin Benjamin had already been chased out of Carolina, soon to be out of the league, when he made these comments, but, man, what a tough look for a guy with an uninspiring career resume.
For a player who had struggled with consistency and injuries, this was a bold claim.
Especially because Benjamin had enjoyed some success with Newton, including a 1,000-yard rookie season… but after a torn ACL sidelined him in 2015—the year Newton won MVP and led the Panthers to the Super Bowl… it appeared their relationship soured.
When you aren’t delivering on the field, there is no room for error off of it… So it shouldn’t come as a shock that Benjamin and his teammate trashing ways were out of the NFL in short order after that.
Also Read: What Is The NFL Record For The Most Penalties In A Single Game?
