Rashard Mendenhall faces severe backlash from NFL community following his bizarre proposal in racially charged rant: “have some shame”

The 2023 NFL season is in full swing, and the last two weeks of this season have already witnessed many upsetting losses of the big teams to below-average teams. Jalen Hurts‘ Philadelphia Eagles started the campaign with a good mark but lost three back-to-back games in the last few weeks. Meanwhile, underdogs like the Denver Broncos are slowly moving forward in the league.

Steelers legend Rashard Mendenhall showed a different approach while analyzing plays compared to his peers. When others built careers on gridiron expertise sharing insights, Mendenhall’s path to fame was paved with an explosive statement that ripped open the sports world’s racial fault lines.

Rashard Mendenhall unleashes racially charged rant

Rashard Mendenhall has frequently raised eyebrows by providing some controversial takes. He has recently found himself in the eye of a storm after making a controversial suggestion about the creation of racially divided Pro Bowl teams, pitting an ‘All-Black’ team against an ‘All-White’ team.

Mendenhall took to social media to voice his frustration with what he perceived as substandard football commentary from white individuals. In his statement, the veteran expressed his disdain for white commentators, stating, “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 ur goat,” as posted on X, via Outkick.

The post garnered attention, prompting responses from notable figures like JJ Watt, who repeatedly slammed the NFL for unreasonably slapping players with big fines. He somewhat agreed by highlighting potential challenges at certain positions if such segregation were to occur, saying, ‘We’d get cooked at [cornerback], not gonna lie. Nobody on our squad is covering Tyreek [Hill].”

Mendenhall, known for his tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers and later the Arizona Cardinals, had a career highlighted by his impressive 2010 season, amassing 1,273 yards on the ground and 13 touchdowns.

NFL Twitter goes on the offensive following Mendenhall’s comments

The backstory behind Rashard Mendenhall’s provocative suggestion seems rooted in a play from Super Bowl XLV, where Clay Matthews, a white player, stripped the ball from his possession, leading to the Steelers’ defeat. This incident appears to have left a lingering impact on the vet, evident from his continued frustration and an apparent inability to reconcile the play’s outcome.

While it is not sure if the former Steelers star was serious in his take of segregating the league, the NFL community took to social media to throw a series of jabs at him, especially mentioning his lost fumble in the Super Bowl XLV.

A person wrote, “You fumbled this post like a Super Bowl carry.”

A netizen wrote, “Lol. You’re just salty because you got lit up by a blonde white guy and lost the Super Bowl. We always knew you were a soft candy ass little boy, but didn’t know you were racist too.”

Some fans referenced San Francisco 49ers formidable running back Christian McCaffrey, who is white and arguably the best in the league at his position. However, digs about his fumble were the most common jabs from the fans aimed at him.

A user wrote, “Racist and fumbled away a Superbowl. Have some shame.”

The proposed solution of a segregated Pro Bowl stands in stark contrast to the inclusivity and unity of the NFL and all other sports. Though Rashard Mendenhall loses his cool, the league is very unlikely to do so in the near future.