Patrick Queen turned down more money for chance to 'win right now' with Steelers

Patrick Queen switched sides in a classic AFC North rivalry this offseason, and it turns out he turned down more money from elsewhere to do so.

The Raven-turned-Steeler hit the open market in March coming off a Pro Bowl bid and a second-team All-Pro nomination — both firsts in his career — and took a three-year, $41 million deal to join Pittsburgh because he believes he can win a championship there.

“From all the 15 teams that I was talking to, it came down to like five at the end,” Queen recently told Steelers_DB regarding his journey in free agency. “It was just like five teams in the mix. Some of them were offering some $17 (million per year). After that it was like, I have a chance to either go win or I have a chance to get paid. For me, the difference was like $4 or $5 million. I’m looking at it like, I’ve never been on a losing team before, and then I also don’t want to be a part of anything being rebuilt because I’m trying to win now. … I’m really just trying to win right now, get that out the way and then get paid later.”

If the Steelers truly did underbid for Queen, they were lucky to lure him to the Black and Gold thanks to a winning culture and sustained history of defensive excellence. Coming off a season with a career-high 133 tackles, he’s an ideal off-ball linebacker to capitalize behind the havoc wreaked by pass rushers T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.

Plus, he’ll be paid handsomely for his services regardless. Queen currently slots in as the fifth-highest paid linebacker on a per-year basis with an average of $13.6 million.

The first among his peers is Roquan Smith ($20 million per year), whose extension at the end of the 2022 season eventually spelled the end of the Smith-Queen tandem.

Queen will now confront Smith and his former teammates twice annually while wearing rival colors. One of the most significant obstacles in his path to victory is his old team.

The Ravens enter 2024 with the reigning Most Valuable Player in Lamar Jackson and the league’s reigning No. 1 scoring defense. Also the conference’s top seed from a season ago, Baltimore fell short of the Super Bowl but still sits on the divisional throne Pittsburgh covets.

Meanwhile, the Steelers have yet to suffer a losing season in head coach Mike Tomlin’s 17-year tenure, but they’ve also failed to rise to the level of true contender for over half a decade now. Pittsburgh has won the AFC North once since 2018 and never ventured beyond the wild-card round in three playoff trips during that span.

The focus this offseason has been to avoid stalling out once again. Queen represents the team’s big-ticket addition on defense, while a reinvigorated quarterback room of newcomers Russell Wilson and Justin Fields should find stellar protection behind an offensive line buoyed by new talent from the draft.

The Steelers’ competitive ability has noticeably improved compared to recent years, and they should be able to gauge the success of their decisions when they first face off against their rivals, the Ravens. The two teams won’t meet until the second half of the season, with the match taking place in Pittsburgh in Week 11 and Queen, who was drafted by the team, returning for a game in Week 16.

“Without a doubt, Steelers-Ravens week is the most intensely hyped week,” Queen stated, referring to previous seasons’ face-offs. “It’s a high-stakes period. Everything is heightened. During practice, the coaches are yelling, arguing, the atmosphere is charged. Everyone knows the kind of game it’s going to be…Being on the other side now, it’s going to be a complete switch. I’ll be on the other side, participating in the same things. I’m aware of what they anticipate now. Honestly, I’m just eagerly looking forward to it.”

By that time, Queen also intends to be halfway through a season that solidifies his status among the best in the NFL, bringing him closer to his goal of winning a ring.

Queen expressed his personal ambitions for 2024, aiming to establish himself among the top three linebackers in the NFL. He acknowledged that opinions vary, with some placing him in the top seven or ten. However, his focus remains on the top three, with ranking order being irrelevant. His ultimate goal is to cement his place among the elite. Alongside this, Queen anticipates earning All-Pro and Pro-Bowl honors, racking up tackles, and creating turnovers. He emphasized the importance of turnovers, specifically through forced fumbles and interceptions, as a key part of achieving his goal.