The Pittsburgh Steelers made a splash by bringing in LB Patrick Queen as a free agent from the division rival Baltimore Ravens, and Queen pencils in as Pittsburgh’s top option at the position. He’s one of the best off-ball linebackers in football, being named a second-team All-Pro last season, and CBS Sports’ Jordan Dajani ranked him the No. 8 off-ball linebacker in the NFL.
“We are going to get to see how good Queen really is now that he’s in Pittsburgh. The former first-round pick thrived next to Roquan Smith in Baltimore, but now is expected to be the top dog,” Dajani wrote. “He’s clearly capable, as Queen is one of just six players to record at least 450 combined tackles and 10 sacks in the last four seasons. After recording 133 combined tackles, 3.5 sacks, six passes defensed and one interception in 2023, Queen earned his first Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections.”
Queen’s former linebacker partner in Smith ranked No. 2 on the list, and while there’s been some skepticism about whether Queen will excel away from Smith, an idea that The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec said is “unfair.” Queen signed the richest free-agent contract in Steelers history. The hope is that he can step up and fill a void at inside linebacker that’s existed pretty much since Ryan Shazier’s career-ending injury in 2017.
While the inside linebacker room did look good last year with the additions of Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts and Kwon Alexander, Holcomb and Alexander suffered season-ending injuries and the room became a shell of itself despite Roberts’ best efforts late in the season. The addition of Myles Jack did help solidify it at the end of the season, with Jack and Roberts forming a surprisingly solid duo. But Queen is a player who should take the room to the next level, and with the addition of Payton Wilson in the draft, this should be the best inside linebacker room that the Steelers have had in years.
The play of Queen is going to be paramount to the room, and he’s the unquestioned leader and the guy expected to be the team’s best player. If he struggles away from Baltimore, that won’t be good news for the Steelers. While they have the depth now to make up for it, the team’s expecting a lot out of Queen. He will have to prove that he can play at a high level and carry the room.
I think Queen will surprise a lot of people who think he needs Smith to succeed and help Pittsburgh’s defense be elite in 2024. It’s definitely going to be a storyline to watch in the early weeks of the season.
