After being a splashy free agent signee who received a hefty contract and was stolen away from a division rival, major expectations were placed on linebacker Patrick Queen in Year 1 with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Though he had some good moments, there was much left to be desired in 2024 for Queen in the Black and Gold. While Queen led the Steelers with 129 tackles (7.6 per game) and added six tackles for loss, seven pass deflections, two forced fumbles, and one sack while playing in every game, he didn’t quite have the impact many expected.
In his 1,164 snaps last season, Queen missed a team-high 22 tackles and graded out at just a 56.8 overall from Pro Football Focus, numbers not reflective of what the Steelers were seemingly getting on the open market.
Now, entering Year 2 with the Steelers, Queen is more comfortable in the scheme and with the terminology and should be more comfortable as the hub of communication defensively as he wears the green dot. With that in mind, he has a lot to prove, which is why it’s no surprise PFF highlighted Queen as one of 10 players in the NFL with the most to prove in 2025.
“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,” PFF writes. “The Steelers will look for Queen to return to form in 2025.”
The Steelers need Queen to be that impact linebacker that he was in Baltimore during his final two seasons with the Ravens, where he was a second-team All-Pro in 2023. Of course, that came with fellow All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith playing next to him, something he doesn’t currently have in Pittsburgh, though there are high hopes for Payton Wilson.
Getting a huge contract, changing teams, stepping into a new scheme, and taking on communication duties can be a lot for any player. Queen had issues with the green dot in Baltimore, but he’s focused on working through those struggles in Pittsburgh and fixing the communication problems that plagued the Steelers down the stretch defensively in 2024, playing a key role in the five-game losing streak to end the season.
That stuff is in the past now though, and Queen enters Year 2 with a consistent voice and comfort in the locker room and on the field with the pieces around him. In 2025, he needs to be the player the Steelers envisioned when they swung big in free agency to address a position of need at inside linebacker once and for all.
There were moments last year where Queen showed he was the answer, but they were too far and few between. This season, he needs to find that consistency again and create some splash on the field. If he does, the Steelers’ defense should once again be a good one.
If not, more questions will arise regarding Queen, this time focusing on his future in Pittsburgh.
