The Pittsburgh Steelers have agreed to terms on a mega-contract with former Baltimore Ravens star linebacker Patrick Queen ahead of NFL free agency, in a move that significantly upgrades the middle of the defense.
According to an ESPN report, Queen’s deal is a three-year pact worth $41 million.
Patrick Queen cashes in following the most dominant season of his career, garnering Second-Team All-Pro recognition after producing a career-high 133 total tackles with 3.5 sacks, and one interception.
One of the premier inside linebackers in the NFL, Queen was originally chosen in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft and spent the first four seasons with the Ravens prior to reaching free agency for the first time.
Ahead of the 2024 season, the Steelers simultaneously land one of the premier defenders available in free agency and also pluck away a cornerstone player from the division rival Ravens.
How Patrick Queen Upgrades the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Defense
For the Pittsburgh Steelers, Patrick Queen is a strong veteran presence and one of the most gifted off-ball players in the sport.
Likewise, Pittsburgh is also getting one of the more underrated pass-rush presences available, as Pro Football Focus points out.
“Queen’s pass-rushing prowess carries significant value in addition to his strong play against the run,” Brad Spielberger writes for PFF. “And in coverage over the past two seasons. His 48 quarterback pressures and eight sacks over the past two seasons are both second among off-ball linebackers.”
PFF points out that Queen held opposing quarterbacks to a 97.2 passer rating when targeting him, underscoring his ability to be a playmaker in coverage as well as playing downhill against the run or rushing the passer.
The new queen of Pittsburgh. Patrick Queen is a Pittsburgh Steeler. pic.twitter.com/ngppUylUpb
— Austin Bechtold (@AustinRBechtold) March 12, 2024
Patrick Queen, Pittsburgh Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin May need to Bury Hatchet
The first meeting between Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and Patrick Queen may prove … awkward.
That’s because Tomlin said during Queen’s rookie year that Queen “is not a Raven.”
“Any time you join this organization and they talk about this game, it’s the game that defines you and makes you a Raven,” Queen said, via ProFootballtalk. “When I was on their sideline my rookie year, Mike Tomlin was looking at me, yelling at me, ‘You’re not a Raven. You’re not a Raven. You’re not supposed to be there. You’re not one of them.’ So every time I play them there’s something personal.”
Now, instead of playing against Tomlin twice each season, Queen is now playing for him. That introduction in Pittsburgh should be interesting.