The Pittsburgh Steelers have had some trouble on the offensive side of the ball ever since Ben Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 season. Quarterback play overall has been atrocious, but there is some optimism surrounding the offensive unit ever since the acquisition of Russell Wilson and Arthur Smith. General Manager Omar Khan also made some huge additions on the defensive side of the ball through free agency, the trade market, and the 2024 NFL Draft.
One of the biggest additions the Steelers made during the offseason was inside linebacker Patrick Queen, who Pittsburgh stole from the Baltimore Ravens. Queen was drafted back in 2020 and had a breakout year in 2023. He was named an All-Pro at the end of the season and the Ravens were unable to keep him from going to their division rival. Roethlisberger spoke about the addition of Queen on the most recent episode of Footbahlin With Ben Roethlisberger, and he is clearly excited for the new linebacker.
"Patrick Queen, who I think, that's a huge one. From a rival in Baltimore, to here. The dude is a stud, I think that's going to be one of the biggest additions to this team. I mean of course it is, but I'm excited to see how that one plays out."
Queen and Roethlisberger overlapped in the NFL for two seasons, and they squared off against one another four times. The linebacker never made any huge splash plays off of Roethlisberger, but he was an efficient tackler in all four of the contests. These games came before he made a name for himself, but Roethlisberger still knows that game-planning for a defender of his caliber is difficult for an offense.
"Oh, he is a problem. I think it's going to be, when you have to account for a dude like that, that's one less guy that is on TJ [Watt] or on Cam [Heyward]."
TJ Watt and Cam Heyward have a great supporting cast around them for the 2024 season. Queen fills a hole at linebacker that the Steelers have been trying to address for years. He is a great tackler in the run game and is more than serviceable in coverage. He is someone an offense needs to worry about on every snap.
Pittsburgh's defense is full of game-wreckers. Watt, Queen, Heyward, and Minkah Fitzpatrick are all guys that need to be worried about on every play. The more players a defense has like that, the higher the odds are that the offense makes a mistake. The defense should be extremely potent in 2024, and will once again have to keep the team in a lot of games. It is the highest paid defense in the league for a reason, and big results should come from the unit after the addition of Queen.
Steelers' Former QB Ben Roethlisberger Owned Patrick Queen's Ravens
A long running trend in the NFL over the last handful of seasons is the Ravens being one of the best teams in the league, but the Steelers consistently having their number. This was the case during Roethlisberger's last two seasons when he faced Queen. Roethlisberger went 4-0 against the new Pittsburgh linebacker.
Queen only managed one win against the Steelers during his time in Baltimore, and it was likely a big reason for his decision to sign in Pittsburgh. Roethlisberger was on the tail-end of his career during his four victories over Queen, and despite the domination, he knows that Queen is a force to be reckoned with. The linebacker will look to build on his success from the 2023 season in 2024, which will be his first season donning the black and gold.
