In the face of pushback over two current players’ public support for President Donald Trump, the Pittsburgh Steelers organization is reminding fans that players have a right to express their personal opinions.
The team sent a letter to fans emphasizing this view on Monday, three days after quarterback Mason Rudolph and safety Miles Killebrew appeared on stage at a Trump rally.
The two players, along with former Steeler Rocky Bleier, presented Trump with a No. 47 jersey during the rally in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania.
While speaking at the event, Trump shared his belief that Rudolph will start for the team this fall.
“I think he’s gonna get a big shot, he’s tall, he’s handsome, got a great arm, and I have a feeling he’s gonna be the guy,” he said, per The Athletic.
As photos and video of the rally spread on social media, some Steelers fans reached out to the team to criticize its association with Trump.
In the Monday letter, Steelers leaders said they “appreciate” that fans shared their thoughts, but said the players weren’t representing the team.
“Our alumni and current players make their own individual decisions that reflect their views, and they do not necessarily represent the view of the entire Pittsburgh Steelers organization. Thank you again for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your passion and your continued support of the team,” the letter read, in part, according to USA Today.
The Steelers are not the first NFL franchise to be forced to navigate Trump-related drama this spring.
The Philadelphia Eagles navigated some issues of their own in April when the team visited the White House to celebrate winning the Super Bowl.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and several other players skipped the event, leading some to speculate that they didn’t want to associate with Trump.
The White House said they had “scheduling conflicts,” as the BBC reported at the time.
Meanwhile, the Eagles’ star running back, Saquon Barkley, faced criticism on social media for appearing to be too comfortable hanging out with the president. Before the team’s White House visit, Trump and Barkley played golf.
In a post on X on April 28, the running back told his critics to “get out of (his) mentions,” per CBS News.
“Some people are really upset cause I played (golf) and flew to the White House with the PRESIDENT,” Barkley wrote. “Maybe I just respect the office, not a hard concept to understand.”
He added that he had previously played golf with former President Barack Obama, CBS News reported.