Steelers' Joe Haden Delivered A Big Hit On Orlando Brown Jr. And He Will Never Forget It: 'Hardest Hit I Ever Received'

The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens have been bitter rivals since the team moved from Cleveland in 1996. Orlando Brown Jr. was first introduced to this rivalry in 2018 in Week 4 when his Ravens traveled to then-Heinz Field and walked out with a 26-14 win, in a game featuring six field goals. The rivalry is known for its amped-up physicality and Steelers cornerback Joe Haden delivered a big hit on Brown that he still hasn't forgotten. 

Brown recently appeared on the New Heights podcast with Jason and Travis Kelce. The elder brother asked the now-Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle what his welcome to the NFL moment was, and he pointed to a hit he took in that first-ever meeting with the Steelers. 

"Y'all ain't even going to believe this s---," he said. "First series of the game, maybe second play, we call a toss crack to f------ Joe Haden. Oh my gosh, he hit me so f------ hard. Joe Haden is still, to this day, the hardest hit I ever received." 

Jason tried to probe on what kind of hit Haden delivered. Initially, he asked if Haden had gone low. Brown said no, it was a direct hit into his chest. Brown is big at 6' 8" and 345 pounds. Haden was not at just 5' 11" and 195 pounds. Travis said that even those little guys are lifting weights, and can deliver big blows. Brown found that out the hard way when Haden drilled him. 

Brown said that for the most part going up against opposing defensive linemen when he's set in his position, he doesn't have a problem. He said the one player that figured out how to beat him consistently was JJ Watt.

Haden retired before the 2022 NFL season. He had some teams interested in him playing for them that year, but he said the money wasn't right. Brown was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021 and helped the team win the Super Bowl in 2022. He joined the Bengals in the 2023 offseason on a four-year deal.

Steelers' Bitter Rival Gets A Big Shoutout From Brown

While TJ Watt's older brother got a shoutout for being the toughest player to face ever, it was a bitter rival of Steelers fans that got the nod from Brown as the toughest pure defensive end in the game that he has to face. 2023 AP Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett received Brown's approval as the toughest strict pass rusher. 

Brown having started his career in the AFC North knows all about going up against top-flight pass-rushers. Now that he's back in the division, he sees Garrett and Watt at least twice a year. 

"I think the best true defensive end, pass rushing wise is Myles Garrett," he said. "He's just special. I've got a ton of respect for him."  

Brown didn't mention the younger Watt brother when he spoke about the toughest pass rushers he's had to play against. He did specify the above when talking about Garrett, which puts him in a bit of a different category than Watt, who plays outside linebacker rather than end. 

During games, Brown primarily deals with defensive ends and pass-rushing outside linebackers. However, during that 2018 game, Haden, a three-time Pro Bowler, demonstrated that defensive backs can still deliver some devastating blows. Haden's hit was memorable for Brown, and it introduced him to the physicality of the Ravens-Steelers rivalry. 

Brown should continue to have some major battles with the Steelers as his career continues in the AFC North. Steeler fans hope their team can get the best of him more often than not as he continues to play for another division rival. It's very neat to hear that to this day, Brown remembers a Steelers hit as the hardest ever.