Getty Ravens LB Patrick Queen and DT Justin Madubuike take down Steelers RB Jaylen Warren.
Teams head into free agency knowing they will lose players and it is impossible to keep everyone, but what drives teams and fans crazy is homegrown players heading to division rivals. Baltimore Ravens free agent LB Patrick Queen hits free agency as the top linebacker in the class and could draw interest from one of their hated division rivals.
Andrew Fillipponi, radio co-host of “The Pm Team With Poni & Mueller” on 93.7 FM in Pittsburgh, suggested that the Pittsburgh Steelers could make a run at Queen.
He posted, “Source: Don’t completely rule out Patrick Queen for the Steelers in free agency. He’s expensive. But they love him. And it’s a position of need.”
Source: Don’t completely rule out Patrick Queen for the Steelers in free agency. He’s expensive. But they love him. And it’s a position of need.
That would be a dagger in the hearts of Ravens fans if Queen were to leave Baltimore for the Steelers.
The Athletics’ Mark Kaboly wrote about the Steelers need at LB and called the signing, “The ultimate luxury signing.”
Fillipponi points out a valid point that it will cost the Steelers a pretty penny to bring in the first-round linebacker. Pro Football Focus has the contract pegged at 4-years, $72.5 million ($18.13 million a year).
Spotrac’s market value tool has it more in the range of 5-years, $93 million, so the Steelers have some work to do if they want to sign Queen. According to OverTheCap, the Steelers have $9.43 million in cap space, so they would need to make some cuts or restructures to create the needed space.
Patrick Queen’s Breakout Came Just in Time
The Ravens drafted Queen in the first round of the 2020 draft as the next in line of the great linebackers in Baltimore history. However, he struggled for the first couple of seasons in that role.
Queen seemed to excel once the Ravens traded for fellow LB Roquan Smith in the middle of 2022 from the Chicago Bears. From then on, he seemed to take another step in his development and had 117 combined tackles and 5.0 sacks in 2022.
However, it still was not enough of an improvement for general manager Eric DeCosta to pick up his 5th-year option in May of 2023. This plus the acquisition of Smith seemed to be the writing on the wall that Queen was unlikely to return after the 2023 season.
Instead, Queen again took a leap in his development in 2023 becoming one of the top linebackers in the league and forming a dynamic duo with Smith. Queen set a career high in combined tackles in 2023 with 133.
He also was named to the All-Pro Second Team at the linebacker position and was named to his first Pro Bowl as well.
Patrick Queen Joining the Steelers Would Be Ill-Received
If Queen were to join the Steelers, shockwaves would be sent through the flock, and he would become public enemy No. 1 in Baltimore.
Sarah Ellison, c0-host of “The Vault: A Daily Ravens Podcast,” posted a response to Fillipponi’s writing, “I want PQ to get his payday, but the Steelers? @Patrickqueen_, you wouldn’t. Right?!?”
Queen is a fan favorite currently, and when DT Justin Madubuike was franchised the sentiment amongst fans was to still try and bring Queen back. However, the Ravens financial situation makes it unlikely that Baltimore would be able to rejoin the defense.
While fans and analysts, like Ellison, want to see Queen get paid, the Steelers would be one of the other 31 teams that might make fans’ stomachs churn.
Queen has been linked to the Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles as well. He will likely have a long line of suitors at his door for his services, so Ravens’ fans still have hope they will not see the homegrown talent in the black and yellow.