The Pittsburgh Steelers invested heavily in the linebacker room a year ago by signing Patrick Queen to a record-breaking free agent contract. After years of mediocrity and failed experiments, Pittsburgh paid heavily to secure a potential defensive star.
As of right now, it seems like Queen isn’t the player the Steelers had hoped for.
While Queen hasn’t been objectively terrible, he hasn’t played at a high level. Pittsburgh paid for him to be their every-down star linebacker as well as their quarterback on defense. He was supposed to take this defense to the next level.
There have been some notable inconsistencies in his game. He makes a good play but follows it up with a few bad ones. He can get washed out in the run game and is hot and cold in coverage.
The Pittsburgh Steelers just figured out what the Baltimore Ravens knew about Queen
Queen’s issues as a player were apparent early in his Ravens career. As a former first-round pick, he was expected to be the guy early in his career.
When tasked with the every down and communicator role, though, Queen faltered. Having everything on his plate seemed to bog him down and worsen his overall play. They even tried Chuck Clark, now also on the Steelers, as their green dot communicator.
Things didn’t improve until Roquan Smith entered the picture. Now, the Ravens had their elite star at linebacker. He could do everything that Queen couldn’t.
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With Queen now running next to Smith, he was free to play a simpler form of linebacker. He excelled with that pressure off his shoulders. In turn, this allowed him to hit the open market as a top player at his position.
I said right after he was signed that, while a boost to the defense, time would tell if this move would actually pay off. Queen had to show that his development in Baltimore was natural, not because he was playing next to better defenders.
While there is still time to turn things around, Queen looks like more of the latter as opposed to the former. With everything back on his plate, he more resembles the young starter on the Ravens as opposed to the budding star that was signed.
Queen's struggles also point to the larger picture at hand. The Steelers have some questions with developing players, and he is yet another example of someone who seemingly isn’t growing or playing their best football on this team.
If things don’t improve, Queen could quickly be looking for a new home next offseason. The Steelers can get out of his contract with ease, and his play doesn’t justify the price tag. It is yet another blow to a struggling Pittsburgh team, and one I’m sure Baltimore fans are laughing at.