Steelers Now
Pro Football Focus tabbed Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen as a player with the most to prove in 2025. Queen, who’s one of the highest paid players on the Steelers, did not exactly live up to expectations in 2024.
“Following a slow start to his career in Baltimore, Queen started playing like one of the better linebackers in the league following the Ravens‘ trade for Roquan Smith in 2022,” Zoltán Buday of PFF wrote. “He wasn’t able to crack the top 70 among linebackers in PFF overall grade in either of his first two NFL seasons but placed 31st with a 69.7 PFF overall grade in 2022. Queen played at an even higher level in Smith’s first full season in Baltimore, posting a 24th-ranked 73.0 PFF overall grade.
“The improvement in play earned Queen a hefty contract in Pittsburgh during the 2024 offseason, but the former first-round pick earned only a 56.8 PFF overall grade this past season, which ranked 65th among 84 qualifying linebackers. The Steelers will look for Queen to return to form in 2025.”
Queen signed a three-year, $41 million contract with the Steelers last offseason — the highest-paid free agent contract in team history. He was solid for the most part in his first year with the Steelers, as he led the team with 129 tackles. But there was also some inconsistent performances. PFF tabbed Queen as the Steelers worst signing in the 2024 free agency cycle.
“Queen was the Steelers’ most expensive free agent signing, but he was among their least productive,” PFF’s Dalton Wasserman wrote. “He earned a 56.8 overall grade, significantly lower than either of his final two seasons in Baltimore. The Steelers will need him to improve next season so they don’t have to rely solely on their stellar defensive line to carry them to success.”
The 2024 season ended on a sour note for Queen following a 34-17 loss in the Wild Card round to his former team, the Baltimore Ravens. Baltimore racked up a whopping 299 yards on the ground against the Steelers. To say the least, it was an embarrassing performance. However, various changes to the coaching staff and roster have Queen optimistic about the direction of the defense.
“It’s a little bit of a few new people, but nothing crazy,” Queen said at OTAs. “Just getting comfortable with the new stuff we’re doing right now, getting comfortable with the new coach, and understanding how he wants us to play. It’s mostly the same fundamentals, just with some new nuances here and there.”
“We got young guys coming in with Jack [Sawyer] off the edge. We got some new corners, some new safeties, so that’s gonna be fun,” he said.
One of the key additions is veteran cornerback Darius Slay, a multi-time Pro Bowler who was part of the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl team in 2024. The Steelers also made a concerted effort to bolster their defensive front, selecting defensive tackle Derrick Harmon in the first round, edge rusher...
