Steelers Now
A couple of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ veteran linebackers could be playing their last snaps in the black and gold.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have completely rebuilt their inside linebacker room from that of a couple of years ago. However, some believe they could be entering yet another rebuild for the group after a disappointing year.
Over The Cap released its list of top 100 cut candidates in 2026, and Steelers linebackers Malik Harrison and Patrick Queen found themselves on it.
Harrison’s appearance on the list isn’t too surprising. Pittsburgh signed him to a two-year, $10 million contract in the offseason and he played far from it, recording just 41 tackles in 11 games this season.
None of the 27-year-old’s salary next season is guaranteed, either. So the team could look to cut its losses with Harrison and replace him with another veteran or someone else already on the roster.
Queen, on the other hand, would be a bit of a surprise cut. The 26-year-old was signed to the largest free-agent contract in the Steelers history in 2024 — a three-year, $41 million deal.
Since then, Queen has racked up 249 tackles, two sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and 11 passes defensed.
Queen’s play has been up and down at times, but there’s no doubt he has provided the best play at the position on Pittsburgh’s roster. The caveat as that the Steelers owe Queen $13.33 million in 2026, none of which is guaranteed.
Only time will tell if Pittsburgh thinks Queen is worth that kind of money come the offseason, but it may just turn out that the team could be starting fresh once again with its inside linebacker room next year.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Pair of Steelers Linebackers Named 2026 Top Cut Candidates
