The Pittsburgh Steelers just threw $41 million at Patrick Queen, a linebacker who carries with him a “Robin” perception. A former first-round draft pick with the stats to back it up, most conclude that he only came into his own after the Baltimore Ravens traded for Roquan Smith to play next to him.
Queen says that’s the biggest misconception those on the outside have about him. While he benefitted from the tutelage of the more experienced and accomplished veteran, he is his own player. That’s why the Steelers brought him here, and now he’s intent on proving them right.
“That I can’t do it on my own,” he said, was the biggest misconception about him, he told Missi Matthews for the team’s website. “Everybody thinks that I need a running mate that’s better than me to be able to do stuff on my own. The biggest thing for me now is just going out there and proving that I can be that guy. I could be the vocal leader, the dominant leader, the guy that everybody looks up to”.
The Ravens traded for Smith at the start of November during the 2022 season. He’s logged 25 games for them, only sitting out the 2023 season finale with the top seed locked up. In those 25 games, he recorded 158 tackles, 12 for loss, 3.5 sacks, two interceptions, 11 passes defensed, and a forced fumble.
In that same span, Queen recorded 189 tackles, 13 for loss, five sacks, two interceptions, ten passes defensed, and a forced fumble. But how did he fare during his career in the two and a half years before playing with Smith?
In his first 41 games, all starts, Queen totaled 257 tackles, 24 for loss, 8.5 sacks, two interceptions, five passes defensed, and four forced fumbles. Statistically, you can hardly say that the difference is night and day. But watching him on film, you clearly see a more mature and complete player.
That doesn’t mean Queen owes it all to Smith. He readily admits that having him there was a big help in furthering his development, but he was already maturing. “When it comes to [the idea that] he made me, I think I was already on my path that I’m on right now,” he said during his introductory press conference.
Queen was only 23 years old the first time he lined up next to Smith, with 41 games behind him. No player is fully mature by the end of their second season, even if everybody grows at different rates. It’s not as though Queen wasn’t already a good player before Smith. It’s only that he began to develop into a great one during that time.
Now he wants to be someone else’s Smith and help raise their game. I’m not sure he has that opportunity with Elandon Roberts next to him, who is already a grizzled veteran. But he doesn’t need to mentor anybody. He just needs to lead the defense and smack people around.
