Steelers Insider Completely Shuts Down 1 Potential Trade

The Pittsburgh Steelers are having one of the most exciting offseasons fans have seen in a long time. In the first week of free agency, they've already made a ton of big moves, bringing in the likes of Michael Pittman Jr., Jamel Dean, Rico Dowdle, and most recently, Jaquan Brisker. Not only did they acquire all of these players, but they did so at great value. They didn't break the bank on any of these acquisitions. While General Manager Omar Khan was busy making all of these moves, there was trade buzz reports with linebacker Patrick Queen. The Dallas Cowboys were the team interested in him because of their depleted linebacker core. 

Queen signed a three-year deal worth $41 million to come to Pittsburgh. The former All-Pro linebacker previously played for their division rival, the Baltimore Ravens. So far, the deal has been slightly underwhelming, as Queen has underperformed based on his contract numbers. He allowed a 115.5 passer rating and had a 20.4% missed tackle rate. He also graded out at 78/88 qualifying linebackers, making him a bottom-10 LB in the NFL. 

This isn't all on Queen however, as even he has called out the poor schematics during the season. Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently appeared on 93.7 The Fan, where he talked plenty about the Steelers. He acknowledged the Queen trade rumors, but shut them down -- believing that Queen will be with the team for the time being. 

"I heard the rumors. I guess there was like a report out there that he was on the trading block, and I don't think the Steelers have any real desire to move on from him," said Fittipaldo. "But I think for right now, Queen's going to be on this team. I can't tell you he's going to be on the team in 2027. He'll be a free agent this time next year; he might want to move on."

Fittipaldo also made an interesting point that could cause concern for the Steelers. He mentioned that the guys they've signed over the last two to four years may want to move on because of Mike Tomlin's resignation. 

"Like a lot of these guys who signed two, three, and four years ago, let's face it, they signed because Mike Tomlin was here. A lot of them did, in addition to the money," Fittipaldo explained. "That's something we'll work out after this season."

A lot of the free agents that have been signed in recent years are no longer with the Steelers, but guys like Queen, DeShon Elliott, and Jalen Ramsey could make sense as to who Fittipaldo could be talking about. Elliott signed in 2024, a former Raven like Queen. He came to Pittsburgh for the culture and for his love of Tomlin. Ramsey was acquired via trade in 2025. 

Ramsey has also expressed his love for Tomlin. Now that Tomlin is gone, these guys could be on their way out sooner than later. 

Steelers Might Be Ok If They Lose Ramsey And Elliott

When the Steelers signed Elliott in 2024, he was the perfect partner for former All-Pro safety, Minkah Fitzpatrick. Elliott played in the box, letting Fitzpatrick roam deep. Elliott certainly did his part, as he was the heart and soul of the defense in 2024. In 2025, however, that wasn't the case. While Elliott suffered a season-ending injury midway through the season, he wasn't the same player when he was playing. He wasn't great in coverage, and the run defense was atrocious when he was out there. That isn't solely on him, but he was part of it.  

Ramsey started off decent for the Steelers as well, but by season's end was a complete liability. To his defense, he made a switch to full-time safety. Ramsey wasn't good in coverage most of the season; he defended the run ok from the slot. Ramsey will be 32 in October, and Elliott will be 29 when the season starts. The Steelers need youth in the secondary, and losing Elliott and Ramsey might not be a huge hit.

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