Just like that, the Pittsburgh Steelers addressed one of their biggest needs of the offseason, landing linebacker Patrick Queen on a three-year, $41 million deal Tuesday, giving Pittsburgh a 24-year-0ld linebacker coming off of an All-Pro season.
In the process, the Steelers added a true bully to the defense once again at the inside linebacker position.
That has ESPN’s Louis Riddick rather fired up by not only the move, but also what it will do for the Steelers’ rivalry with the Baltimore Ravens in 2024.
Appearing on NFL Live Tuesday evening, Riddick stated that Queen is going to “bring it” for the Steelers and will provide that bully mentality defensively. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin praised Queen for this ahead of the Week 18 regular-season finale in January, a game that Riddick called for ESPN.
“Well, this one’s gonna spice it [the rivalry] up for sure. Look, I think Mike Tomlin knew that the group of linebackers that he had last year, he was just trying to keep it together. He was trying to just piece it together, and it really wasn’t up to the standard that he’s used to, okay?” Riddick said regarding the Queen signing for the Steelers, according to audio via NFL Live. “And then when we talked to him, and Dan [Orlovsky] and I talked to him before we did the Pittsburgh-Baltimore game last year in Week 18. He [Tomlin] knew that Baltimore, he said this, ‘Baltimore likes to bully people. We like playing the bully.’
“Well, they went and got one of the guys who, when they paired him with Roquan Smith last year, you’d be hard-pressed to find another linebacker duo other than maybe Dre Greenlaw and Fred Warner, who were up to their standard. This guy is going to bring it to Pittsburgh. That first game, wherever it is in Pittsburgh or Baltimore, between these two teams with him on the other side, I can’t wait. That’s going to be must-see TV.”
That first matchup between the Steelers and Ravens is going to be must-see TV, without a doubt, and not just because of Queen’s presence in the Black and Gold, either.
Baltimore has had a busy offseason, including signing future Hall of Fame running back Derrick Henry and giving reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson another major weapon to work with offensively. But the Steelers countered quickly by snagging Queen, giving Pittsburgh a high-ceiling linebacker coming off of a great 2023 season to fill arguably the biggest need on the roster.
Queen brings the perfect mentality to the table for the Steelers, too. He plays with a clear edge to his game and has fire to his personality, too, which makes him a great match for the Steelers.
Tomlin and the Steelers have spoken glowingly about him over the last four years, and now they’re getting him into the building. This allows the Steelers to really lean into the bully personality they’ve tried to build in recent years on both sides of the football field.
Queen landing in Pittsburgh spices up the rivalry, without a doubt. Can’t wait to see it play out on the field.
