Not everyone with the “Rooney” last name loves the aggressive offseason moves the Pittsburgh Steelers have made. Patrick Rooney Jr., son of Patrick Rooney Sr. and grandson of Art Rooney Sr. – The Chief – ripped the organization for bringing in “head case” cornerback Jalen Ramsey and wide receiver DK Metcalf.
Rooney, who has no official affiliation as a member of the Steelers’ organization and operates Florida’s Palm Beach Kennel Club, shared his concerns about the Steelers’ trade acquisitions.
“Ramsey’s kind of a head case,” Rooney said during a Wednesday interview on the PBKC Picks Podcast. “And this team is not generally conducive to being able to deal with head cases.”
Last Monday’s trade from Miami to Pittsburgh marked the third time in his career that Ramsey has been traded. Drafted by Jacksonville, the Jaguars dealt him to the Los Angeles Rams midway through the 2019 season. After winning a Super Bowl there, Ramsey was shipped to Miami in March 2023. Two years later, the Dolphins had him on the move after Ramsey made clear he had no desire to play for the organization.
Monday, Miami-area columnist Dave Hyde shared a troubled history of Ramsey’s time in Miami. He reported Ramsey was continually late to practices and meetings while clashing in 2023 with former defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who left after one season in the role. Ramsey is still big on talent, but he’ll be a personality Mike Tomlin needs to manage. History says at some point, Ramsey will become unhappy with his situation in Pittsburgh.
Patrick Rooney is one of many members of the Rooney family. While his surname is synonymous with football, Patrick took a different path. In addition to the greyhound racing and gambling side of the Kennel Club, he also served in Congress. He was a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 2010 through 2016, serving the state’s 83rd and 85th districts. In 2016, he opted against running for re-election.
For the Steelers, Rooney’s concerns went beyond the personality. An older secondary also has him worried.
“You’re getting Jalen Ramsey, who’s 30. You’re getting rid of Minkah Fitzpatrick, who’s 28. Ramsey’s just as much of a head case as some of the other guys that we brought in,” he said. “We already got Darius Slay, who’s 31 or 32. We tried it with Patrick Peterson and some other guys. When you get these guys that are older and especially trying to play corner, it generally just doesn’t work.”
Pittsburgh has cycled through veteran cornerbacks for several-straight years. Few have been able to stick. From Levi Wallace to Patrick Peterson to Donte Jackson and now Slay (who is 34) and Ramsey, the Steelers have struggled to find stability and continuity. That could be one reason for the team’s communication struggles, a sore spot that contributed to its 2024 collapse. Slay’s likely in the final year of his career and while Ramsey could stick beyond 2025, there’s no guarantee he’ll be a long-term fixture in the secondary.
Rooney offered a similar but softer critique about Metcalf.
“You’re bringing a DK Metcalf, who’s a little bit like George Pickens in terms of being a head case,” he said. “So you got another one in there.”
Metcalf has lost his temper on the field and has taken his share of penalties. However, there’s no evidence to suggest Metcalf has the same issues as Pickens reportedly did off the field. Being late to meetings and generally not being a professional. In that regard, Metcalf is viewed as a hard worker and solid teammate.
The one portion of the trade Rooney liked was adding TE Jonnu Smith, whom he called an “upgrade” and cited TE Pat Freiermuth’s inability to stay healthy. But the latter point isn’t accurate. Freiermuth has played in 16-plus games in three of four seasons, including appearing in all 17 last season.
Adding new pieces comes with risk and uncertainty. Pittsburgh is assuming all of that. Plenty of rosters have looked great on paper only to underwhelm. Time will tell which side of the Rooney family is proven correct.
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