Despite his best game, Patrick Queen may still be a Steelers cap casualty

The Steelers made a big splash in free agency last season, as they ponied up the most money ever for an outside free agent when they inked Patrick Queen to a three-year deal. Fans were quick to anoint him as the next great Pittsburgh linebacker given his high level of play over his final two seasons with the Ravens. I was openly skeptical of the move though.

Quen had been viewed as a mild bust most of the time while in Baltimore. While he was a consistent starter, he made a lot of mistakes and struggled to play like you would want a former first-round pick to play. This was so apparent that the Ravens declined his fifth-year option. His play only improved when he had a potent running mate in Roquan Smith next to him.

The Steelers were aware of these concerns.

Despite the deal looking huge on paper, it was very team-friendly. Pittsburgh has a roster bonus for Queen totaling over $6.5 million next March. If he were to be cut before then, they would save all of that plus his base salary, meaning that they would incur a cap savings of nearly 10 million dollars if he failed to live up to expectations. This was clearly a prove-it deal for Queen.

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For most of this season, my assumptions were right on with Queen. His early play was marred with missed tackles and bad decisions. Until just a few weeks ago, he finally turned the corner into a decent option at linebacker, but his play is far from perfect. Despite just playing his best game in a Steelers uniform, Queen could still be on the chopping block next year.

The Steelers can’t afford to overpay at linebacker

On the surface, it looks like the Steelers have a healthy amount of cap space next year. Early projections have them anywhere from $50-55 million under the cap, but that doesn’t tell the full story.

The team won’t have a quarterback on the roster, and that room won’t be playing for pennies like they are this year. You also have notable contributors like Dan Moore, Donte Jackson, and Najee Harris who will want new deals. And let's not forget the mega-extension you will need to provide George Pickens to keep him around.

In short, cap space will be pretty limited. While there are a few cut candidates (I’m looking at you Preston Smith with $13.4 million in savings), cap space won’t be that easy to come by. While you may not have to cut Queen to get cap-compliant, this team also isn’t in a position to overpay for Queen.

Off-ball linebackers, in general, are becoming less valuable. Though not quite as devalued as a running back, this position lacks in comparison to some other defensive positions. While having quality play there is important, you can typically get serviceable players at a discount.

In Pittsburgh's case, Payton Wilson could be that guy. He has looked good in limited action and serves a similar role to what Queen provides. That doesn’t mean you can’t play both of them, but if the team determines Queen isn’t worth the money, you have a natural replacement. He isn’t making the decision an easy one right now.

Queen finally played at a high level against the Ravens, but he needs to continue to shine if he wants to cement his spot on the team in 2025. Like it or not, the Steelers were prepared to make this just a one-year deal if his struggles returned. While he played well a week ago, that needs to be maintained, even when it isn’t a revenge game. If not, his tenure in the black and gold won’t be a long one.