One of the most respected voices in team history is throwing his support behind embattled Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. During a Monday appearance on FOX Sports' The Herd, former Steelers linebacker James Harrison characterized Roethlisberger as “a good teammate and a good leader.”

“The people that are saying he's a bad teammate, that's their truth,” he said, per Bob Pompeani of Pittsburgh's KDKA. “For me, I think Ben is a good teammate and a good leader.”

Questions surrounding Roethlisberger's leadership style and general demeanor as a teammate began surfacing last season, cresting in recent weeks as former Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown demanded a trade from the team.

Brown, while waiting for Pittsburgh to honor his trade request, even shed light on two accusations of sexual assault against Roethlisberger from many years ago that in the interim have largely been swept under the rug.

Other former Steelers took a more direct approach to criticizing Roethlisberger, including Ryan Clark, who alluded to a players-only meeting called during his rookie season to specifically address the two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback's me-first mentality.

Pittsburgh general manager Kevin Colbert, responding in February to talk of Roethlisberger's problematic relationship with teammates, accidentally fueled that fire, saying at a press conference that his status with the team is difficult because “he’s got 52 kids under him, quite honestly.”

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Multiple former players called out Colbert for his comments, using them as further evidence that Roethlisberger receives preferential treatment by organization higher-ups.

Harrison, the Steelers' all-time leader in sacks and the 2008 Defensive Player of the Year, retired in 2018 after 14 seasons as Roethlisberger's teammate.