We are about to see the start of training camp for the 2026 NFL season, with the Patriots coming off another Super Bowl appearance. Yet, some former players are still bitter about the Patriots' unbelievable success during their two-decade dynasty and continue to talk about alleged cheating in the early 2000s.
You would think after 20+ years, they would have moved on, especially since Patriots fans are constantly told to stop talking about the past wins and losses, but a player like James Harrison cannot get past what could have been for the Steelers in 2004.
Despite the allegations being proven false, the 5-time Pro Bowl linebacker still can't let go of losing to the Patriots in what would have been back-to-back Super Bowl appearances for Pittsburgh. He's still so bothered by it that he brought it up again on his podcast recently, and it seems to prove one thing: he's bitter.
Oddly, he is still holding on to something that happened so long ago, but it's even more bizarre, considering he joined the Patriots during the 2017 season, so their "cheating" wasn't so terrible as to keep him from playing for them.
James Harrison refuses to let cheating allegations against the Patriots die after 20 years
While discussing the 2004 AFC Championship Game on a recent episode of the "Deebo & Joe" podcast, Harrison quadrupled down on the idea that the Patriots stole the Steelers' signals, or something of that nature, to help them win the game.
He emphasized that they were far too prepared for the blitzes the Steelers were known for at the time, and because of that, there was no way they didn't know what was coming before it happened; therefore, they cheated.
"They did a little [finagling] over there. That one year, the year that we was undefeated, we popped them and Philly back-to-back, and then they came to the AFC Championship Game. Bruh, when I say they caught us, they only missed one blitz. What in the world, Joe? How many times in your career have you ever seen where an offense get ya'll on every blitz you do but one?
...That's like playing Tecmo Bowl, and I get your play. It's over with. ...I was like, 'Yeah, we about to get to the Super Bowl.' And we at home. We were at the crib. That was upsetting and disappointing. That should have been a back-to-back because the next year we won."
This isn't anything new, especially coming from Harrison, but it's still funny to hear it from a player who forced his way out of Pittsburgh only to sign with the Patriots during the year they made another Super Bowl.
Unfortunately, that was the ever-so-controversial Super Bowl LIII, which the Eagles won after the league appeared to alter several rules that inevitably favored the eventual winning team, leaving Harrison unable to win a third Championship ring before retiring.
That seems like a reasonable explanation for why he's still holding on to a loss 22 years later, especially since the Steelers won another Lombardi five years later. It's the only explanation that could potentially make sense, given he signed with the team for the playoffs in his final season.
Otherwise, he's just trying to bring controversy back to something that has long been forgotten. Regardless, bitterness seems to be a common component of it all.
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