James Harrison Responds On Instagram To Backlash About Comments

Simply put, James Harrison is not happy. 

After making a statement about Mike Tomlin handing him an envelope on a hit on Mohammed Massaquoi in 2010, Harrison has faced some backlash. 

Harrison took to Instagram to relay his response. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wow y’all really comparing what I said to BOUNTYGATE?!? Mike T. Has NEVER paid me for hurting someone or TRYING to hurt someone or put a bounty on ANYBODY! If you knew the full story of what happened back then you’d know that BS fine for a Legal Play wasn’t even penalized during the game. The league was getting pressure because the first concussion lawsuits were starting and they had to look like they cared about player safety all of a sudden. Before that they had been SELLING a photo of THAT SAME PLAY FOR $55 on the NFL website with other videos of the NFL’S GREATEST HITS that the league Profited On back then. When the league had to start pretending like they cared about player safety they took all those things down off their website and they started fining guys ridiculous amounts for the same plays they used to profit off of. EVERYBODY knew it – even these same media people and all the fans that were sending money to me and the team to cover the fine. AGAIN AT NO TIME did Mike T. EVER suggest anybody hurt anybody or that they’d be rewarded for anything like that. GTFOH with that BS!!! #receipts

A post shared by James Harrison (@jhharrison92) on May 15, 2020 at 7:40am PDT

“Wow y’all really comparing what I said to BOUNTYGATE?!?” Harrison wrote in an Instagram post. “Mike T. Has NEVER paid me for hurting someone or TRYING to hurt someone or put a bounty on ANYBODY!”

The Backstory

Harrison made an appearance on the “Going Deep with Willie Colon and Steven Cheah” podcast. 

On the podcast, the three remembered the time Harrison was suspended for his tackle on Massaquoi. 

“Yeah. Dude, how are you going to fine me — dude, listen, listen, listen, listen, listen, everything I love, on my daddy’s grave, I hit that man with about, max, 50 percent of what I had and I just hit him because I wanted him to let loose of the ball,” said Harrison. ” If I had known it was going to fine me $75,000, I would have tried to kill him.”

After that, Harrison claims that the Steelers head coach handed him an envelope, which we all assume had money inside of it. 

“Dude, I’m telling you. 75 (thousand)? And I ain’t going to lie to you, I ain’t going to lie to you, when that happened, right, and the G-est thing Mike Tomlin ever did, he handed me an envelope after that. I ain’t going to say what, but he handed me an envelope after that.” 

Another dirty hit by james Harrison. This time on Mohammed Massaquoi pic.twitter.com/utGx7GFD0C

— Cleveland fan in pittsburgh (@216fanin412) October 6, 2019

The Severity of the Story

The story has blown up on a national scene and even gained a response from the Steelers’ owner. 

“I am very certain nothing like this ever happened. I have no idea why James would make a comment like this but there is simply no basis for believing anything like this,” the statement said. 

Even New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton weighed in on the conversation. 

Payton was suspended in 2012 for Bountygate. 

#Saints Sean Payton On James Harrison’s Claim: That’ll Be Something That’s Tucked Away Under The Rug At Park Avenue.https://t.co/LIxh7miRne pic.twitter.com/zIUQXemkcD

— Pete Smith (@_PeteSmith_) May 15, 2020

Final Thoughts

The hit that took place occurred in the second quarter of a 28-10 Browns loss to the Steelers. 

The short pass quarterback Colt McCoy threw to Massaquoi resulted in a helmet-to-helmet hit by Harrison. 

Harrison’s fine was later reduced to $50,000. 

It’s very questionable as to why Harrison would make a comment like this. 

Harrison has come to the rescue of Ben Roethlisberger, downplayed Antonio Brown, and basically given every bit of loyalty to the Steelers franchise. 

Why would he make a comment that could get the Steelers in an array of trouble?

It’s likely he didn’t think much of it, but Harrison has to know about Bountygate because he was playing during that time. 

In the end, more secrets could be coming out of the closet in Pittsburgh.