Grandson Of Steelers Legendary Owner Art Rooney Calls Paying TJ Watt At 31 "Insane"

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had an unreal amount of drama surrounding the organization throughout the 2025 offseason. There has been an unusual degree of roster turnover, which recently featured the franchise parting ways with star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, as he was traded back to the Miami Dolphins. Other aggressive moves have been made by General Manager Omar Khan, and the team's pursuit of four-time league MVP Aaron Rodgers was also featured in headlines for months on end. Now, the primary story surrounding Pittsburgh is getting a new deal done with All-Pro edge rusher, TJ Watt.

Watt is entering the final season of his current contract, and both he and the Steelers seem to be far apart on a new deal. There is still confidence that a deal will get done, as the organization typically gets major extensions completed once training camp picks up at the end of July or in August. No contractual business is normally conducted during the regular season in Pittsburgh, so there is a hard deadline for Khan to give Watt what he wants.

Some fans don't think Watt is worth a new, lucrative deal as he will turn 31 years old during the 2025 season. There is a sect of fans in Pittsburgh that want to see the star traded, but the organization seems content to keep him around. However, one member of the Rooney family, Patrick Rooney Jr., doesn't think it makes much sense to give a new deal to Watt, which he made clear on the PBKC Picks show on X.

"TJ is a great player, great Steeler. Insane to pay him anything right now. Absolutely insane," Rooney said. "He's 31 years old, but again, if you're going all-in this year, then you're going to 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."

It is important to note that Rooney is in no way shape or form affiliated with the Steelers officially. He has no say in decisions made by the franchise, but he is a part of the family that owns the team. There is no reason to believe his comments reflect what any executive or front office member is thinking, but it is still interesting to hear something like this from a member of the family running the organization.

Watt is a pivotal part of the team's success. He has had some injuries throughout his career, and when he does not play, the team is just 1-10. He is one of the best game-wreckers in the NFL, and if Pittsburgh wants to go all-in on winning during the 2025 season, he is going to need to be a part of it. Every other offseason move made by the franchise insinuates that it has the belief it can come out of the AFC and compete for a Super Bowl, but a large part of the fan base is skeptical as a playoff game has not been won by the team since the 2016 season.

The outside linebacker can still be dominant, and he certainly deserves to be paid, but there is some risk involved. His production took a dip at the end of the 2024 season as he was working through a nagging ankle injury, so there is some doubt in whether or not he should become the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league.

Steelers Likely Do Not Have The Tools To Seriously Contend For A Super Bowl In 2025

Rooney stated that the Steelers clearly want to go all-in, and Watt is going to be necessary to do that. However, nothing the Steelers have done in recent years should give the fan base much faith that Pittsburgh can seriously become contenders. The defense is the highest-paid in the league, yet it consistently underperforms. 

The offense is inconsistent and at times, unwatchable. Maybe the new additions during the 2025 offseason will turn that around, but the franchise has a long way to go.

What do you think about the remarks from Rooney? Let us know in the comments below!

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