The Pittsburgh Steelers have been busy this offseason locking up their own guys. Nick Herbig got paid. Darnell Washington, Chris Boswell, the whole 2023 draft class basically. But one name has been conspicuously absent from that list: Patrick Queen.
And according to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor, fans shouldn’t hold their breath waiting for a deal to happen.
Queen is entering the final year of his contract. The Steelers brought him in last offseason on a three-year, $41 million deal, hoping he’d be the sideline-to-sideline playmaker next to what was then T.J. Watt and the rest of that defense. He was fine in Year One. Solid. Not spectacular. And now the team has a decision to make.
“While the Steelers have been largely proactive in getting extensions done with their 2023 draft class and kicker Chris Boswell, an extension for Queen seems unlikely,” Pryor wrote.
That’s about as direct as you’re going to get from a plugged-in reporter this time of year. The team has not confirmed anything, obviously. But when the ESPN beat writer says it’s unlikely, that’s usually the smoke before the fire.
Queen spoke to reporters back in late May, his first time facing the microphone this offseason. He acknowledged the talks have happened — “here and there,” as he put it — but nothing’s moved. No traction. No momentum.
“At the end of the day, they got a business to handle. I got a business to handle,” Queen said. “My business, go out there and play the best football I can and put myself in a good position, put our team in a good position so that we both would be successful.”
That’s a professional answer. He’s not complaining. He’s not demanding a trade. He’s just saying the quiet part out loud: if the Steelers won’t pay him, he’ll bet on himself and hit the market next spring. And that’s a real possibility given how the linebacker market has shifted.
The Steelers have cap space. They always do. But they also have a philosophy. They don’t overpay for guys who aren’t difference-makers. Queen is good. He’s a starter on a defense that was top 10 in points allowed last year. But is he the kind of player you break the bank for? The front office seems to have its answer.
Pittsburgh also has to think about what’s coming down the pipeline. They’ve got young guys on rookie deals they’ll want to keep. They’ve got quarterback questions that aren’t going away. And they’ve got a head coach in Mike Tomlin who’s never had a losing season but hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016. Every dollar counts.
For now, Queen will show up, play hard, and let the chips fall. The Steelers will let things play out too. And if no extension comes by the time training camp ends? Then you start wondering if this is a rental for one more year or if Pittsburgh sees him as part of the long-term picture at all.
Leave a Comment