Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen expressed that the Baltimore Ravens made it clear they were not interested in re-signing him last offseason. Queen, who was waiting for an offer from the Ravens before hitting free agency, was hurt when that offer never came. He bluntly admitted that he “wasn’t wanted back,” adding that it was more upsetting than he expected.
It wasn’t until after joining the Steelers and settling into Pittsburgh that Queen began to process the situation. However, he acknowledged that this Sunday’s game against the Ravens will stir up some emotions, given it’s a matchup with his former team and the AFC North lead is at stake.
“Obviously, I’ll have feelings,” Queen said, noting that anyone in his position would feel the same. But despite any lingering emotions, Queen remains focused on his role. The Steelers made a significant investment in him during free agency, hoping to solidify their inside linebacker position, which has been a challenge since Ryan Shazier’s career-ending injury in 2017. Queen had a slow start in Pittsburgh but has recently hit his stride, becoming an important part of one of the NFL’s top defenses.
While Queen has yet to record a sack, he’s tallied four tackles for loss, deflected three passes, and been a strong presence in the run game—skills that will be crucial as the Ravens, led by Lamar Jackson, bring the league’s top-ranked offense into the matchup.
Although Jackson and other former Ravens teammates congratulated Queen on his move to Pittsburgh, Queen has distanced himself from them for now, including his former linebacker partner Roquan Smith. Queen wanted to prove that his success wasn’t solely due to Smith’s presence.
While Queen didn’t explicitly say he would have stayed in Baltimore if the Ravens had offered him a contract, it’s clear that his relationships with his former teammates meant a lot to him, and leaving wasn’t easy. “I definitely felt a certain type of way about the whole situation,” Queen admitted. He also mentioned that he hasn’t spoken to Ravens coach John Harbaugh since leaving, but he insists he’s moved on.
Now, with the Steelers enjoying their best start since 2020, Queen is ready to embrace his role as the “villain” in this intense rivalry. One of the things he’s most looking forward to is the opportunity to hit Jackson, something he never really got to do while with Baltimore. In practice, the best he could do was touch Jackson occasionally, which was rare.
“We all know the type of athlete he is,” Queen said. “I’ll do my best to get in position to make a play.”
Pittsburgh has had success against Jackson in recent years, holding a 3-1 record against him as a starter, limiting him to just four touchdown passes while intercepting him seven times. Though Jackson is playing better than ever this season, Queen believes the Steelers’ defense knows how to contain him. “They keep everything simple, try to get after him, not let him do what he does,” Queen said. Pittsburgh used a similar approach last week to keep rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels in check during a narrow win over Washington.
Patrick Queen
But Queen is aware that this week will be different, as Jackson brings a far greater challenge than a rookie quarterback. And while he may struggle to avoid trash-talking his former teammates, Queen admitted that his competitive nature sometimes leads him to say things on the field he later regrets, especially when facing someone he doesn’t like.
This time, though, the emotions will be different. He’ll face his old friends in a new context, and he knows the trash talk will likely flow throughout the game.
“The older I get, the more I do it,” Queen said. “It’s just who I am now. I can’t control that. I can’t take it back. It’s just me.”
