Patrick Queen was the Pittsburgh Steelers’ prized free-agent signee last offseason. The Steelers aren’t known for giving big contracts to external free agents, but they broke their franchise record with Queen, giving him a three-year, $41 million deal.
It was a reasonable deal for both sides given the structure with the Year 2 and 3 roster bonuses, but Queen is out to prove something.
He is just 25 years old on his second contract and has a chance to turn into one of the league’s very best linebackers. He knows what it will take to get there.
“Get the ball. I gotta get turnovers,” Queen told NFL Network’s Steve Wyche in an interview on NFL GameDay Morning ahead of Week 13. “I think that’s the biggest thing. I don’t blitz as much no more, so now it’s [time] for my other calling to come out and that’s to get the ball. So whatever that means, however I gotta do it, I’m gonna do it.”
Through 12 games, Queen has 88 total tackles, which leads the team and ranks 27th in the NFL. Pro Football Focus has him down for 13 missed tackles so far. Most of his poor performances were at the beginning of the season as he was adjusting to a new defensive system with a new set of responsibilities as the quarterback of the defense.
He’s settled in and increased his tackling production quite a bit, but the splash plays still haven’t arrived. Queen forced a fumble against the Baltimore Ravens a few weeks ago, but that is it for his splash-play production.
In four seasons with the Ravens, he had four interceptions, five forced fumbles, and six fumble recoveries. The Steelers haven’t been using him as a blitzer very much, which used to be one of the most productive parts of his game.
He also has four passes defensed, but PFF has him down for allowing 10 receptions on 10 targets in coverage.
Queen’s blend of age and experience was very attractive to the Steelers. He still has plenty of time to grow into one of the top linebackers in the league, but there’s still a ways to go.
