5 most hated rival players Steelers fans love to hate

Vontaze Burfict

There are far too many moments to count that explain why Steelers fans cannot stand former Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict. Over the years, the Cincinnati linebacker handed out cheap shot after cheap shot, most notably pinpointing former Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown on multiple occasions.

The most notable incident came back in the 2016 AFC Wildcard Game when Brown caught a pass over the middle, and after Brown had been wrapped up, Burfict came in with a finishing blow. The hit would knock Brown out of the game, and it looked vicious. For those who remember the hit, they can attest: it did not belong on a football field.

A couple of years later, Burfict would once again go for Brown, this time with an elbow. There were many theories after the game of Burfict's intent and what he might have also said on the field, which we couldn't hear as spectators. But, Ben Roethlisberger went on record saying that Burfict was making quite the threats that day.

"He hits A.B., then, literally, as I am under center for the next play, he points at JuJu (Smith-Schuster) and says, 'You're next.' How do you allow that stuff?" Roethlisberger said after the game.