Evaluating Patrick Queen’s three-year, $41 million contract with the Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers made a significant move during the legal tampering period of free agency by reaching a deal with linebacker Patrick Queen.
The former first-round pick was also one of the top linebackers on the free agent market after a successful four-year career with the Baltimore Ravens. Last season, Queen started every game and totaled 133 tackles, 84 solo tackles, nine lost tackles, six quarterback hits, 3.5 sacks, one interception, one forced fumble, one fumble recovered, and six breakouts. exceeded. He was named second-team All-Pro and selected to his first Pro Bowl.
As for Queen, he will remain in the AFC North, a division he is familiar with, bouncing between the Ravens and rival Steelers. He will likely be asked to support a midfield corps that will likely trust him as a leader. He will join Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts and Mark Robinson, while free agent Kwon Alexander is likely to leave.
But he also joins guards TJ Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Cameron Heyward, who in theory would make the Steelers a potentially deadly offensive defense. It’s no wonder the emphasis was on defense during the Steelers’ free agency period. This is something the Steelers have always done during Mike Tomlin’s tenure.
And that’s starting to become a problem in a division that features reigning MVP Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow and even quarterback Deshaun Watson, who have mostly elite weapons.
Sure, they gave Russell Wilson a cheap contract, but then traded their best receiver, Diontae Johnson, to the Panthers for a quality quarterback in Donte Jackson. All of this means that no one spends more on cornerbacks and puts more emphasis on them than the Steelers.
An example of this is the Queen’s signature. Of course, this was a coveted position the Steelers had been trying to fill for years to fill the hole in the middle of their defense. In 2024, Queen will be asked to be the quarterback on that side of the ball.
But is Queen ready for such a role? Remember, Queen struggled early in his career, and he didn’t start developing as a playmaker until the Ravens acquired Roquan Smith from Chicago two seasons ago. Queen’s production has skyrocketed since the former Bear joined the Ravens in 2022.
But then you start to notice some of Queen’s next generation stats in the NFL. For example, his pressure rate is among the league’s highest among all linebackers with 20, but his pressure rate is only the 23rd highest among students. Alternatively, his pressure rate last season was 25.5%, which was the sixth best among midfielders with 50 or more passes. If you’re the Steelers or any other team in the league, you can’t look away.
According to PFF, Queen also posted a career-high 73.1 defensive rating this season, which is slightly higher than last season but significantly higher than his first two seasons in the league.
That said, just two years of solid playing time doesn’t inspire much confidence, especially considering the $41 million over three years the Steelers are paying him. The Ravens are known for getting the most out of their players. On defense, look at what former defensive coordinator Mike McDonald did with the careers of Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy last season.
We’re about to find out what Queen is without McDonald’s and a Ravens jersey on her back. The Steelers are rated average because Patrick Queen doesn’t have confidence in this deal. This is because, although the contract satisfies a necessary need, it is not known whether the amount he receives is equal to the amount he produces.
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