Rumors swirl as the Pittsburgh Steelers ponder trading durable, yet statistically inconsistent, linebacker Patrick Queen.
There have been a few reports suggesting the Pittsburgh Steelers could be willing to trade inside linebacker Patrick Queen, which would be a surprise considering how highly general manager Omar Khan spoke of him a little less than two weeks ago.
Queen enters the final year of his three-year, $41-million deal, with a $13.33-million cap hit. The Steelers, with $46 million in cap space, aren't financially pressured to trade him.
"'P.Q.'s been good for us," Khan said during his media availability at the NFL Scouting Combine. "I think he likes being here. We like having him part of the team. I'm excited about having him around. He has a unique skill set.
“I know he's been in contact with the new coaches, they're getting to know him, and he's getting to know them. It's been a good experience, and I expect him to contribute."
Against this backdrop, Queen was second on the team with 120 tackles last season when Pittsburgh won the AFC North title, trailing only fellow inside linebacker Payton Wilson, who had 126.
In addition to his tackling, Queen again showed durability by starting all 17 regular-season games and the Wild Card playoff loss to the Houston Texans. He has never missed a game during his six-year career with the Baltimore Ravens (2020-23) and Steelers (2024-25), starting all 101.
His leadership role is also underscored by the green dot on his helmet, which designates him as the Steelers’ defensive player wearing a transmitter linked directly to the sidelines.
Despite Queen's importance, there is no obvious candidate on Pittsburgh’s roster to replace him, though they have plenty of depth at outside linebacker with starters T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith and reserves Nick Herbig and Jack Sawyer.
Queen's Pro Football Focus rating last season was 43.5, ranking him 79th of 88 qualifying NFL inside linebackers.
He struggled in coverage, with a 32.4 grade and 11.4 yards allowed per completion.
Despite earning a 70.5 pass-rushing grade from PFF, Queen managed just one sack for the second straight season.
One team that would seem like a natural trade partner is the New York Giants and new coach John Harbaugh. Harbaugh was the Ravens’ coach during each of Queen’s four seasons with Baltimore.
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