Member of Rooney Family Sounds Off on Paying T.J. Watt: ‘Absolutely Insane’

Reports have indicated this spring and summer that contract negotiations between the Pittsburgh Steelers and edge rusher T.J. Watt haven’t been the smoothest. Patrick Rooney Jr. may have pulled the curtain behind the biggest reason why.

Rooney strongly expressed during a live stream appearance on Palm Beach Kennel Club on Wednesday that he wouldn’t give Watt another contract extension because of his age.

“T.J. is a great player, great Steeler. Insane to pay him anything right now. Absolutely insane. He’s 31 years old,” Rooney said. “But again, if you’re going all-in this year, then you’re gonna have to re-sign him.

“But again, you’re making moves right now that you’re trying to do something for this year. That, to me, based on anything you’ve seen in the last several years, just doesn’t make sense.”

Hours after the live stream, the official PBKC X account tweeted a video clip highlighting the conversation with Rooney. The video clip included Rooney’s comment on Watt’s contract.

The PBKC X account has since deleted that tweet.

Patrick Rooney Blasts a Contract Extension for TJ Watt

It’s important to note that while Rooney is a member of the Steelers ownership family, he’s not an official member of the team’s organization.

So, in no way does his statement on Watt represent the team’s stance. Patrick was merely sharing his opinion, one that was on the PBKC because he manages the club.

For most of the interview Wednesday, Patrick sounded like an angry “yinzer” more than  a member of a sports ownership group. He ripped into a lot of what the team has done within the past couple offseasons.

Still, there could be fallout from his strong opinion becoming public because he was so adamantly against an expensive contract extension for Watt.

NFL insiders have been torn about whether Watt will receive a contract extension this summer that makes him the highest paid NFL defender. The Steelers awarded Watt a contract that gave him that title four years ago. But as of July 9, eight defenders are getting paid more on an average annual basis than Watt.

Cleveland Browns’ Myles Garrett is the highest-paid NFL defender because of his contract extension in March. Garrett will receive $40 million per season through 2030.

Watt and Garrett came into the league together and have been compared since the 2017 NFL Draft. The speculation this summer has been that Watt will not settle to be paid less than Garrett’s $40 million per season.

Although they entered the league in the same draft, Garrett is 14 months younger than Watt. The Steelers edge rusher will turn 31 in October while Garrett will be 30 in December.

Who Is Patrick Rooney Jr. & His Connection to the Steelers’ Rooney Family?

Patrick Rooney Jr. is the nephew of the late former Steelers owner Dan Rooney. Dan’s son, Art Rooney II, is the current Steelers team president.

Patrick is best known for serving as a member of the Florida House of Representatives. He served two different districts from 2010-16.

Patrick has multiple degrees, including a law degree from Villanova University and Master of Business Administration from Lehigh University.

His father, Patrick Rooney Sr., was one of five sons of the Steelers original team owner and founder, Art Rooney Sr.

Patrick Rooney Sr. died at 84 years old in 2023. He gave the reigns of managing the PBKC to his son, Patrick, in 2009.