Super Bowl champion running back Rashard Mendenhall has had enough of NFL analysts, particularly the “average white guys” who constantly criticize the league and its players. In a recent post on social media, Mendenhall expressed his frustration with these individuals, stating that they are not even good at football themselves.
It was not specifically clear who Mendenhall was targeting with his statement, but it came just hours after he commented on the criticism directed at the Pittsburgh Steelers and their head coach, Mike Tomlin. Mendenhall wrote, “I’m sick of average white guys commenting on football. Y’all not even good at football. Can we please replace the Pro Bowl with an All-Black vs. All-White Bowl so these cats can stop trying to teach me who’s good at football? I’m better than your goat.”
Currently, the Pro Bowl is an annual all-star game between the best players in the NFL, divided into two teams, the AFC and NFC. Mendenhall’s suggestion of an All-Black vs. All-White Bowl would be a unique and controversial change to the traditional format. However, he seems to believe that it would put to rest the ongoing debates and criticisms of who truly is the best in the league.
Until today, the worst thing Rashard Mendenhall ever did was fumble the ball in the Super Bowl and cost the Steelers the Championship.pic.twitter.com/yZwdmaMyRo https://t.co/hpM7SQWoib
— BRO (@luke_brocks) December 18, 2023
Former Houston Texans star J.J. Watt responded to Mendenhall’s proposal, jokingly acknowledging that an “All-Black vs. All-White bowl” would not fare well against speedy players like Tyreek Hill. Watt wrote, “We’d get cooked at corner, not gonna lie. Nobody on our squad is covering Tyreek Hill.”
Before making his comment about the Pro Bowl, Mendenhall addressed the criticism directed at Tomlin’s coaching record. He pointed out that many people only focus on Tomlin’s playoff record without acknowledging that the quarterback of those teams, Ben Roethlisberger, also had a major role in those losses. Mendenhall stated, “I don’t understand how you can talk about Tomlin’s playoff record without acknowledging that Kenny Pickett has only played one year. Who was the QB for all those playoff losses?!! Literally all of them. Make up your minds. How you arbitrarily separate Mike & Ben in the W/L column?”
Where is the sports media outrage over Rashard Mendenhall’s comments about white people in football?@CharlyOnTV pic.twitter.com/OrGp2ZPjs5
— OutKick (@Outkick) December 19, 2023
Mendenhall was a standout running back at the University of Illinois before being drafted by the Steelers in 2008. He played for the team for five years before spending his final year in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals. Mendenhall was a crucial part of the Steelers’ Super Bowl XLIII victory against the Cardinals, which was also Tomlin’s first Super Bowl championship.
It is not uncommon for former players to speak out against criticism directed towards their former coaches or teammates. However, Mendenhall’s statements have caused quite a stir, especially with his proposal for an All-Black vs. All-White Bowl. While his suggestion may not become a reality, it raises important questions about the ongoing discussions surrounding race in the NFL and the sport of football as a whole.
