Steelers Face Pivotal Decision With Secret Weapon On Defense

Super Bowl LX marked the official end of the 2025 season, and the Pittsburgh Steelers will have to have a great offseason to close the gap between them and the best teams in the league. If there's one thing the Steelers can take from the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, it's that defense wins championships. The Seahawks' defense suffocated opposing offenses all season and throughout the playoffs, including the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, en route to a Super Bowl victory. The Seahawks laid the path to glory; the Steelers must now follow it.

The Steelers are under a new regime with Head Coach Mike McCarthy, but don't expect a different defensive scheme. McCarthy does not want a full revamp on defense, but rather to stay in the 3-4 base defense that the team has run for years. New Steelers defensive coordinator Patrick Graham will have to figure out how to get the most out of this veteran-filled unit, which was the highest-paid in the NFL last season, but did not live up to expectations.

One of the Steelers' biggest potential cap hits next season is linebacker Patrick Queen. Queen is a pivotal part of the Steelers' defense, but the franchise would save about $13.3 million if they cut Queen. Steelers insider Mark Kaboly was on 93.7 The Fan and shared his thoughts on Queen's future with the Steelers.

"I could see Patrick Queen getting extended more than I could see him getting cut right now," Kaboly explained.

Queen is one of the keys to making the Steelers' 3-4 defense work. The 26-year-old linebacker is one of the most versatile players on the roster. The linebacker recorded 120 tackles this past season and has played every game during his two campaigns in the Steel City. Despite Queen's solid numbers however, many Steelers fans have expected more from the former Baltimore Ravens star, given his All-Pro-caliber play in the past.

A big part of the hesitation for the Steelers to move on from Queen is the lack of appealing options to replace him. While the Steelers cutting Queen would save them a large amount of cap space as mentioned, the team is looking to win now. The cap space the organization would save would simply be reinvested into the roster. The McCarthy hiring shows that the Steelers want to win and they want to win now. Without a clear replacement for Queen, the Steelers know he has a high floor and still has significant upside at just 26 years old.

Steelers' Defense Will Have To Be Better In 2026

The Steelers' defense was by no means bad last season, but it wasn't championship-caliber either. When you look at teams like the Seahawks, the gap between their defense and the Steelers' defense from last season is evident. The Seahawks' defense was young, flying across the field and rallying to the ball. Their secondary was filled with ball hawks, and their front seven was stout. 

The Steelers' hiring of McCarthy made it clear they are not rebuilding, but are looking to contend. If that's the case, every contending team is chasing the Seahawks; that's the championship standard right now. The fortunate thing for the Steelers is that this is a talented roster, as evidenced by its price tag. Unlike some of the aging players on the Steelers' roster, Queen is still young and well in his prime. He is the type of player who can anchor a championship defense.

It's not about whether a contract is good value for the 2026 Steelers, but about putting the best team on the field possible. The Steelers could very well extend Queen and restructure his contract, giving them more flexibility to add to their roster this upcoming season. While Queen has not produced the quantity of highlight reel plays as a Steeler that he did with the Ravens, his durability and upside still provide the Steelers a strength at linebacker in their 3-4 defense.

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