Patrick Queen is ready to make an impact as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
While Pittsburgh doesn’t always sign big-name free agents to big-money offers, the Steelers went out of their way to add help on the defensive side of the ball — signing Queen to a three-year, $41 million contract in the offseason.
Not only will the addition of Queen add a big spark to a defense that already has T.J. Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Cameron Heyward, but it’s also a move that takes away from their division rival Baltimore Ravens.
The 24-year-old linebacker is one of the best in football, and executives, coaches, and scouts all agree. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler has been putting together top 10 lists for each position heading into the 2024 season as decided by front offices around the league. The latest was off-ball linebackers, where Queen ranked fourth, respectively. Only the San Francisco 49ers’ Fred Warner, Ravens’ Roquen Smith, and Buffalo Bills’ Matt Milano finished ahead of the Steelers’ linebacker.
“Pittsburgh’s linebacker tradition is rich, but the team rarely spends top dollar in free agency,” Fowler wrote. “By giving Queen a three-year, $41 million deal in March, Pittsburgh effectively plucked a star out of rival Baltimore while reimagining the middle of its defense.”
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Queen finished last season with 84 solo tackles, nine tackles for loss, six pass deflections, one forced fumble, and 3.5 sacks while being second-team All-Pro.
The star linebacker and the Steelers will kick off training camp on Wednesday, July 24th.
More NFL: Three Steelers Defensive Stars Crack Top-100 List With Training Camp Approaching
Featured image via Nathan Ray Seebeck/USA TODAY Sports