Patrick Queen was one of the stars of the Baltimore Ravens' defense in 2023. A year later, he'll be matched up against the Ravens in the AFC North, agreeing Tuesday to a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to CBS Sports lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones. The linebacker will sign a three-year contract with the rival Pittsburgh Steelers worth $41 million, Queen told ESPN.
Queen's deal is averaging roughly $13.7 million per season through 2026, per Adam Schefter. That makes the former first-round draft pick the seventh-highest-paid linebacker in the NFL, and the richest to hit this year's free agent market.
Queen, 24, was widely considered the top player at his position to hit the open market, fresh off a career-high 133 tackles in 2023. His production as both a run and pass defender, including 3.5 sacks and six pass breakups, earned the former LSU star his first All-Pro honors. While Baltimore reportedly had interest in retaining him, the Ravens were considered long shots to extend him after already committing top dollar to fellow linebacker Roquan Smith and 2024 free agent defensive lineman Justin Madubuike.
Now Queen will headline a Pittsburgh linebacker corps that struggled to stay healthy in 2023, shuffling several in-season additions. While he didn't necessarily live up to his own pre-draft hype to start his Ravens career, Queen saw an uptick in production after Smith arrived via trade in 2022, also finishing that season with 110+ tackles and six pass deflections.
Prior to his deal with the Steelers, Queen also drew interest from the Carolina Panthers, per CBS Sports Lead NFL Insider Jonathan Jones.
