Patrick Queen once sounded as though he would never play for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Mike Tomlin. Perhaps he actually felt that way at the moment. Time, opportunity, and money, however, caused him to have a change of heart. He is now poised to become a cornerstone of Pittsburgh’s defense, perhaps for many years to come. And he’s already liking things more than he did in Baltimore.
While Queen has had plenty of nice things to say about Pittsburgh and the Steelers since signing a big-money contract in free agency, he hadn’t really contrasted it with his time with the Ravens. A couple months since signing, however, he seems comfortable drawing a few conclusions.
“At the end of the day, money makes you happy, but you also have to win to be happy”, Queen told The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly. “I’d rather win and be happy than be miserable with a lot of money. It’s a better atmosphere here for me. Everybody is cool, the people are cool, the players are cool, and the food spots are better. I am a big food guy. I love food. I am more of a true food guy rather than a seafood guy. I like meat and stuff like that. It’s just a better atmosphere for me here”.
Baltimore, of course, is an East Coast hotspot for seafood, particularly known for crabcakes. You might struggle to find them in Pittsburgh—for not the least reason being their prominence in Baltimore. Rivalries, you know. Queen knows.
The Ravens selected Queen in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. They opted not to pick up his fifth-year option last year, making him a free agent in 2024. In between, they made Roquan Smith the highest-paid off-ball linebacker in NFL history.
Queen is now in the current top five. That’s not surprising after having an All-Pro season, but the fact that the Steelers made him one is. His is the largest contract the team has ever given to an outside free agent, cap inflation not considered. And he’s liking it here in Pittsburgh, both the team and the city.
“You have a great head coach, a defense that can ball and puts you into a situation to succeed”, Queen said. “I am at a point where I want to win. I know Pittsburgh hasn’t won anything in a while, but they were in the playoffs, so they have a chance. To me, the team got better at every position. It’s just now at the point where we have to go do it”.
The Ravens won all of two postseason games during Queen’s time there, as well, so it’s not exactly a night-and-day difference. But he’s not looking back, only forward, even if that means leaving Baltimore behind. “I don’t care”, he said when it was pointed out how some of his comments might be construed by those in his former city. “I am not saying anything bad about them. I am just speaking the truth”.
