The Facts: Making the media rounds at the Super Bowl in Atlanta last week, Hall of Fame wide receiver Hines Ward has not shied away in his criticism of former teammate Antonio Brown. Ward also used his time on radio row Thursday to target Roethlisberger. In an interview Thursday with SiriusXM NFL Radio, Ward said Roethlisberger needs to be a better team leader by not criticizing his teammates in the media. “When you wear that ‘C’ on your jersey, that stands for a lot,” Ward said. “It’s not just what you do on the football field. You have to hold every man accountable. Ben, you’ve been there the longest. You should know better.”

Diehards Line:It was Roethlisberger’s reported altercation with Brown in the final week of the regular season that set the wheels in motion for the wide receiver to skip practice and meetings before he was made inactive against the Cincinnati Bengals. Roethlisberger, who turns 37 in March, is the elder statesman on the Steelers, arriving as a first-round draft pick in 2004. He just completed his 15th season with the team and has been a team captain for the past eight seasons — 10 overall. Ward said Roethlisberger shouldn’t ‘blast’ teammates on his weekly 93.7-FM radio segment that is aired during the regular season. Roethlisberger notably was critical of Brown’s route-running during his weekly appearance after the Steelers’ last-minute loss at Denver in November. “If we say we are a band of brothers, come talk to me like a brother,” Ward said. “You don’t have to put me on blast in front of the media. That’s not the way you go about handling and communicating brotherhood.” On his SiriusXM appearance, Ward offered more pointed words for Brown, who skipped team meetings and didn’t immediately return phone calls from HC Mike Tomlin or team president Art Rooney II. “Grown up, grow up,” Ward said. “You’re a professional. You’re a grown man. You can’t miss practice and leave your teammates out to dry. It’s the culture. Mike Tomlin has to own it as well.”