Steelers Already Being Seriously Urged To Explore A Replacement For Patrick Queen

The Pittsburgh Steelers are once again featuring one of the highest-paid defenses in the NFL. It will continue to stay expensive over the years if the organization can work out extensions for key players Joey Porter Jr. and Keeanu Benton. Thinking towards the future, their contracts aren't the only ones that are going to be on the Steelers' mind looking ahead. Another player that Pittsburgh might need to consider a plan for is Patrick Queen, the star linebacker that is on an expiring contract.

The veteran has been a key playmaker for this defense, but he has come at an expensive price. While Payton Wilson has emerged as a key piece of this interior linebacker core as well, nobody has been able to take on the defense's play-calling like Queen has, so he has a lot of value to this unit. 

With the role he has played and the impact he has made, it would make sense for the organization to retain him after the season and look to keep him for a little longer than just 2026. That doesn't appear to be in the cards as his contract hasn't been reworked yet and there appears to be more important negotiations this team is working on, such as Porter and Benton.

Re-signing Queen doesn't appear to be a priority for this team and depending on what happens this season will determine if they even try to bring him back next offseason. Steelers insider Christopher Carter spoke on the Locked On Steelers Podcast while discussing Queen's situation. 

"I do think that Patrick Queen might not exactly be the top candidate for the Steelers to re-sign very soon," Carter stated. "Maybe inside linebacker becomes another position that they want to attack in free agency next year or they want to draft at that position higher up in the draft."

Carter also doesn't believe that cutting him would do the franchise much good. The only way they'd depart from him this season is if another team wanted him long-term, so they'd sacrifice a draft pick to try and extend him. That remains a possibility, but it doesn't seem all that likely at this point. 

A caller on Carter's show suggested that the Steelers bring in Bobby Wagner for a year to replace Queen, but Carter doesn't exactly see that happening either. There's so much value that Queen has with calling plays for this defense that they don't have a ton of time to get another player ready to do that. Wagner has plenty of experience doing that, but the issue there is that he doesn't have nearly as much experience with Wilson and the Pittsburgh defense.

While that would be a similar issue with bringing in another draft pick or free agent signing next offseason, but that player would get an opportunity to get exposure to the team in Organized Team Activities. It's too late for Wagner to get that at this point. With all of that in mind, it seems like Queen is going to remain an anchor of this defense, but his future in Pittsburgh is slightly murky. Taking him off the payroll would open enough financial room to bring in another star linebacker next offseason, but time will tell what options are available. They could fast-track Wilson into the play-caller role and draft another linebacker, opening an opportunity to invest elsewhere.

Steelers May Have One More Season With Patrick Queen

Having a strong core at inside linebacker is a top priority for this defense. To complement their strong defensive line and outside linebackers, they need stars in the interior. 

What happens with Queen will be a huge question mark entering next offseason for Pittsburgh that will need a significant answer.

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