The Pittsburgh Steelers are hoping that Patrick Queen locks the revolving door they’ve had at inside linebacker for several years. Since Ryan Shazier’s career-ending spinal injury in 2017, the Steelers haven’t stopped searching for the answer. They took a big swing trading up for Devin Bush in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, but they missed on that one.
Before and after that move, the Steelers have leaned heavily on free agency to address their hole in the middle. Starting with Jon Bostic in 2018, they hope that Queen is finally the end of the line. Not just the front office and the coaches, but the players on the field, as well.
“Going against [Queen] four or five years now, I have all the respect for him, a guy who’s true sideline to sideline”, OLB T.J. Watt said recently on Sirius XM NFL Radio . “Sure tackler, can drop in coverage, can do everything. To be that true dawg in the middle is what every good defense needs, and that’s what I’m looking for from him”.
A first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens, Queen is a productive and durable performer. He’s played over 3,800 snaps, recording 454 tackles, 37 TFLs, 13.5 sacks, 4 interceptions, and 5 forced fumbles. Last season, he earned his first Pro Bowl and made the second-team All-Pro team as a 24-year-old.
The Ravens already paid ILB Roquan Smith on a $20-million-per-season contract and declined Queen’s fifth-year option. This offseason, they prioritized retaining DL Justin Madubuike and could not afford to return their former first rounder.
While he was the top off-ball linebacker on the free agency market, he signed for less than many projected. The Steelers ultimately landed him on a three-year, $41 million deal with no guarantees beyond the first season.
Many question whether Queen’s development over the past two seasons is primarily due to playing with Smith. He intends to prove in Pittsburgh that he is capable of being the leader of the group, which is precisely what the defense needs.
The Steelers took steps toward fixing their linebacker room last year with a reset. They signed Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts, and Kwon Alexander in free agency, but two of the three suffered season-ending injuries. Alexander is a free agent, while it’s not clear when or if Holcomb will be available for football activities.
At this point, we have to assume Roberts is the next man up alongside Queen. Roberts stepped up in the second half of the season, even playing through injury, finishing with 101 tackles. He posted 10 TFLs along with 2.5 sacks and 2 passes defensed, one of which led to an interception.
But Patrick Queen is the long-term answer, the Steelers hope, that they thought they had in Bush. He only turns 25 years old in August and is already a proven commodity. The only question is how much upside remains in his game, especially as the clear top guy.
