Mark Madden: Steelers players are kings of fake news

Rashard Mendenhall’s fumble contributed mightily to the Steelers losing Super Bowl XLV in 2011. Except Mendenhall says it wasn’t a fumble.

The now-retired running back tweeted thusly: “I never fumbled that ball. I was SEPARATED from the ball 4 yards into the backfield. That’s the RB equivalent of a strip sack. There’s NOTHING I could have done about it. Respect my career.”

A strip sack is a fumble. The stat sheet says Mendenhall fumbled.

There is something Mendenhall could have done about it: Not fumble. (At the very least, don’t point fingers.)

I don’t respect Mendenhall’s career. He played just six seasons, had only three that were decent, and is best known for that fumble. He never made a Pro Bowl.

Mendenhall was a writer and story editor for the HBO sports comedy “Ballers.” Even The Rock couldn’t make Mendenhall’s career interesting.

But sports have entered an era where if you say it enough, it becomes true. Mouths rearrange accomplishments, or lack thereof.

Mendenhall would fit in with today’s Steelers.

Related:

• Tim Benz: Ex-Steelers RB Rashard Mendenhall picked the wrong fight
• Mark Madden: With Minkah Fitzpatrick signed, Steelers defense must provide bang for big bucks

Receiver Chase Claypool has played two NFL seasons. He’s done nothing Canton is interested in. He scored 11 touchdowns as a rookie, but that dropped to two last year.

Claypool nonetheless capped off a barrage of self-promotion during a recent interview by saying, “I know I’m a top-three receiver.”

That’s not confidence. That’s an empty barrel making noise.

If rookie George Pickens lives up to his potential, Claypool might be the third-best wideout on the Steelers behind Pickens and Diontae Johnson.

But no, Claypool meant top-three receiver in the entire NFL: “I am not like the rest of the guys in the NFL.”

That’s true in some respects. For example, no other receiver in the NFL jumps and falls down on every catch. Some actually run through receptions like you’re supposed to.

Like Mendenhall, Claypool is best known for a mistake: His idiotic, time-wasting first-down celebration that cost the Steelers a play in a failed late-game drive at Minnesota last Dec. 9. The Vikings won 36-28.

Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon listed himself among the NFL’s top five cornerbacks.

Witherspoon has spent five seasons in the NFL and started less than half his teams’ games.

If Witherspoon covered Claypool, perhaps one would have a chance to live up to his ego. It would more likely be a Mexican standoff of sub-mediocrity.

But that’s how the Steelers are. They haven’t won a playoff game in five seasons, but there’s been no shortage of chest-beating in the interim.

The Steelers are 100% a players’ team.

Mike Tomlin is a players’ coach.

Art Rooney II is a players’ owner. Everybody gets paid.

T.J. Watt got paid. Minkah Fitzpatrick got paid. Johnson will get paid. (Johnson’s not a No. 1-level receiver, but might get north of $18 million per season. It would be smarter to flush that money through a woodchipper.)

That management style isn’t wrong. If you win.

But if the Steelers don’t win, they can just say they did. A lot of fanboys would believe it.

Mendenhall says he didn’t fumble.

Claypool says he’s a top-three receiver.

Witherspoon says he’s a top-five cornerback.

Watt should say he’s a Rhodes Scholar. The next day’s headline: “Steelers Star To Study At Oxford.”

The Steelers are kings of fake news, and beneficiary of lowered standards.

Pittsburgh is no longer the City of Champions. It’s the City of Minimal Expectations.