The Pittsburgh Steelers had high expectations for Patrick Queen after poaching him from their divisional rival, the Baltimore Ravens, before the 2024 season. He had some nice moments in his first year as a Steeler. Unfortunately, he didn’t ultimately live up to what the team hoped he’d be. Despite that, he still has plenty of importance in the locker room as a leader, according to linebackers coach Scott McCurley.
“He’s been around, he’s seen it, this is his second year here in the organization and the way we do things,” McCurley said, speaking to the media after a minicamp practice this week. “It’s great to have him. We’ve got a lot of veterans in the room, though, along with PQ [Patrick Queen]… But PQ leads the room, and he’s the guy up front.”
Despite being a Second Team All-Pro in 2023, the Ravens allowed Patrick Queen to sign with the Steelers. Coming off that All-Pro season, many expected him to have a similar year in his debut season in Pittsburgh. And Queen certainly wasn’t bad. He played in all 17 games, and had seven passes defended, forced two fumbles, recovered one, and had 129 combined tackles. That reliability throughout the season was important. But all things considered, he didn’t really play up to the contract he received.
While it’s not necessarily his fault, Queen was part of a defense that really struggled down the stretch last year. It was downright bad during their five-game losing streak to end the year, with constant issues in communication. The unit already seems focused on getting on the same page during minicamp and OTAs. Still, both Queen and the defense as a whole have a lot to prove.
Coming into the 2025 season, they’ll have to be better if Pittsburgh’s going to contend for anything. There are too many question marks on offense. It’s not a bad unit as a whole, but 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers with third-round pick Kaleb Johnson, a lack of a WR2, and an unproven offensive line isn’t likely going to carry the Steelers very far. DK Metcalf and Pat Freiermuth are reliable options, but there’s just not a lot of proven talent elsewhere.
Patrick Queen is part of a defense that is faced with a lot of pressure. But they also have the potential to be very good. If Queen can get back to his 2023 level of play as a leader on the defense, it will take the unit a long way. Based on McCurley’s words, it sounds like he’s starting to get there.
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