The Pittsburgh Steelers tried to fill their linebacker void by signing affordable options last offseason. This year, they went to the top of the market to steal a division rival’s free agent.
The Steelers agreed to terms with ex-Baltimore Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen on Monday, keeping the former first-round pick in the AFC North. What does Queen’s new contract look like, and how does he fit with Pittsburgh’s defense?
Steelers Land Former Ravens LB Patrick Queen
Queen was neck and neck with Frankie Luvu for the title of 2024’s best free agent linebacker. Luvu departed for the Carolina Panthers on Monday, signing a three-year, $31 million deal with the Washington Commanders.
Queen, who at 27, is three years younger than Luvu, inked a three-year, $41 million pact with the Steelers on Tuesday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Queen’s guarantee package has not yet been reported.
Once his contract becomes official, Queen will become the sixth-highest-paid linebacker by average annual value in the NFL. Queen’s $13.67 million yearly salary will trail only that of Roquan Smith, Fred Wardner, Tremaine Edmunds, C.J. Mosley, and Foyesade Oluokun.
Pittsburgh had to revamp its linebacker depth chart, which was devastated by injuries in 2023.
Cole Holcomb, who signed a three-year, $18 million deal with the Steelers last offseason, suffered a gruesome knee injury in Week 9, leaving his availability for 2024 in question. Veteran Kwon Alexander played 362 defensive snaps last year but is coming off an Achilles injury while hitting free agency.
Queen, the 28th pick in the 2020 draft, started 67 consecutive games for the Ravens after entering the league. After finishing third in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting in his debut campaign, Queen struggled until the Ravens acquired Smith at the 2022 trade deadline.
Smith’s presence in Baltimore allowed Queen to flourish as a downhill, run-and-hit linebacker. Queen set career-high marks in snaps (1,121) and tackles (133) while earning second-team All-Pro honors.
Can Queen still produce without Smith or another high-end linebacker by his side? The Steelers think he can — or at least, are willing to bet on the chance he can.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin raved about Queen and Smith before Pittsburgh played Baltimore in the regular-season finale.
“On the defensive side of the ball, man, they’re just really getting after people,” Tomlin said ahead of Week 18. “It starts with that inside linebacker tandem of Roquan (Smith) and Patrick Queen.
“They’re a tandem for all circumstances. They’re good in the run game, whether it’s downhill or on the perimeter. They’re good in the passing game, whether it’s coverage or as blitzers or rushers. They’re a catalyst for a lot that goes on with that group.”
While the Steelers rarely enter the free agent market to make splash additions, the club’s dire LB room likely forced general manager Omar Khan to act.
Queen’s contract came in below most projections, while his health and reliability track record likely appealed to a Pittsburgh front office that just watched its LB depth chart disintegrate.
Queen was never expected to return to Baltimore, which already has Smith on a significant linebacker contract.
KEEP READING: 2024 NFL Free Agents by Position
The Steelers were not Queen’s only potential suitor. The Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans reportedly expressed interest in signing him, while the Seattle Seahawks were regularly linked to Queen after hiring former Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald as head coach.
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