The Pittsburgh Steelers knew they needed to find an answer to their inside linebacker issue. The team had been weak at that position ever since Ryan Shazier's tragic injury in 2017. Over the years, a string of replacement players has shown that talent of that caliber is not that easy to find. Even when they have found solid help, as they did in 2023 with Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander, it didn't last, as they both suffered season-ending injuries.
That led General Manager Omar Khan and Head Coach Mike Tomlin to change how they approached filling this position. They went after one of the top players in free agency, Patrick Queen. The Steelers have the most expensive defense in the NFL, and they didn't shortchange Queen, offering him a three-year, $41 million deal. That represents the largest free agent signing in franchise history.
When Queen was with the Baltimore Ravens, his teammates and fans loved him for his hard work. However, the minute he left the team, they flipped the script and called him a "Robin" to Roquan Smith's "Batman." Former Ravens cornerback Domonique Foxworth told ESPN reporter Mina Kimes though on her podcast, The Mina Kimes Show, that Queen is showing in Pittsburgh that he doesn't need Smith to make a difference.
"Patrick Queen has added to this defense in a way that's interesting," said Foxworth. "Because Patrick Queen, for the first couple years of his career, was kind of considered a miss, but ever since Roquan Smith showed up in Baltimore, he's been on another level, and he's brought that with him to the Steelers."
Queen seemed to start a little slowly, with only two tackles during the Week 1 game against the Atlanta Falcons. However, he doubled his production weekly and had four tackles against the Denver Broncos and eight against the Los Angeles Chargers. While he allowed an interception to slip right through his hands against the Chargers, he was still the Steelers' leading tackler.
Foxworth and Kimes noted that the Steelers do defense differently than other teams. They have built a half-century of great defenses in black and gold. These smashmouth teams are primarily responsible for why Pittsburgh has won six Lombardi Trophies. The culture of this team is to be physical, said Foxworth, and to never waiver. That is why he named the Steelers one of his "winners" through Week 3.
Steelers Facing Some Missing Key Defenders
While Queen is having a big impact in the middle of the field, the Steelers will have to shore up other areas. During his weekly press conference, Tomlin stated that outside linebacker Alex Highsmith and cornerback Cory Trice Jr. are out for the time being.
Highsmith has aggravated an old groin injury and will be out for at least the next few weeks. He went out partway through the Chargers game and did not return. Nick Herbig stepped in for Highsmith and gave a solid performance, including a strip sack on Justin Herbert and a sack on Taylor Heinicke. However, Highsmith is the best at sealing the edge against the run, and undoubtedly, the Indianapolis Colts star running back, Jonathan Taylor will try to take advantage of that loss.
