In one fell swoop, the Pittsburgh Steelers landed one of the best defensive players on the free agent market in linebacker Patrick Queen Tuesday and struck one of the best deals handed out on Day 2 of the legal tampering window.
Queen and the Steelers agreed to a reported three-year, $41 million deal Tuesday, giving the Steelers an All-Pro linebacker at a major position of need. It also gave the Steelers a massive bargain at the position based on the structure of the deal, which landed Queen in Pro Football Focus’ best deals piece Wednesday morning from Brad Spielberger.
“We called our shot here on Queen becoming the next Tremaine Edmunds type signing, a fourth-year breakout of sorts — carrying over a strong second half of 2022 — who earned Pro Bowl honors as a former first-rounder. However, Pittsburgh was able to anchor this deal to the other upper mid-tier linebacker deals signed this offseason instead of closer to the true top of the market,” Spielberger writes. “Queen is a great fit alongside Elandon Roberts, though coverage will be a bit of a concern over the middle, with two disruptive forces coming downhill. And it’s a great value.”
Queen had a monster breakout 2023 season, recording a career-high 133 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and one interception for the Baltimore Ravens, earning second-team All-Pro accolades.
Entering free agency after having his fifth-year option declined before the 2023 season, Queen parlayed his final year in Baltimore into a strong payday. But the deal with the Steelers came in below market projections. For that, Spielberger gave the Steelers an A+ on the deal for value and a B+ for fit.
PFF projected Queen to sign a four-year, $72.5 million deal in free agency, an average of $18 million a year. The Steelers came in much lower than that and still landed the standout linebacker.
Dave Bryan broke down the contract details for Queen in a piece for Steelers Depot Tuesday afternoon.
On paper, it’s a massive steal for the Steelers, which is a bit surprising considering the projection of Queen’s market leading up to the legal tampering window.
But the Steelers will take it. They land a high-ceiling linebacker who fills one of their biggest needs, and they get him at an affordable rate. That’s what makes it one of the best deals in free agency to date in the eyes of Spielberger and PFF.
