DeShon Elliott and Patrick Queen were teammates on the Baltimore Ravens for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Now they will share the field again as teammates with the Pittsburgh Steelers. At Elliott’s introductory press conference on Friday, he was asked about how Queen fits in the physical AFC North with video courtesy of the Steelers’ YouTube channel.
“I watched a game last year from PQ,” Elliott said. “He ran through a fullback’s face, or along his face, to go tackle the running back. That’s when I realized that PQ was not young PQ anymore, he’s a grown man. So yes, I believe he’s ready to play football the right way. He’s been doing it at a high level, and I respect him as a man and in this game.”
The AFC North, and specifically the rivalry between the Steelers and Ravens, is known for physical, hard-nosed play. With the Ravens signing RB Derrick Henry in free agency, the physicality isn’t going to abate anytime soon.
Adding a big-time linebacker in free agency was a focus for the Steelers this offseason. There was a list of injuries to the inside linebacker room that rivaled a CVS receipt. There’s still no timeline on Cole Holcomb’s return and Kwon Alexander is a free agent himself. There was a big hole next to Elandon Roberts.
Queen has proven to be a playmaker who can fill that hole. Speaking of holes, he’s shown a knack for making plays behind the line of scrimmage. He’s had nine tackles for a loss in three of his four NFL seasons and he had 10 tackles for a loss in 2021. Darn good numbers for an off-ball linebacker.
Queen just makes plays. He’s knocked down six passes in each of the last two years. He had two interceptions in 2022 and another one in 2023. He’s eclipsed 100 tackles in three of his four seasons and had a career-high 133 tackles in 2023. He’s also picked up 13.5 sacks in four years. He’s shown an ability to do it all from the linebacker spot. Elliott thinks Queen has grown so much from his first two seasons in the league and is ready to be a force for the Steelers.
Plus, who doesn’t love a blood-and-guts rivalry getting even fiercer? Queen certainly seems to be embracing being on the other side of Steelers-Ravens. At his press conference, Queen talked about wanting to be “that villain” against his former team. Between he and Elliott, the Pittsburgh-Baltimore rivalry has seemingly gotten even more fuel.
