Patrick Queen's move from one division rival to another seemed like a traitorous move in the 2024 offseason.
But as Queen explained it Wednesday, he didn't have a choice. His old team didn't have a place for him anymore.
"I wasn't wanted back," the Steelers linebacker said during the lead-up to his first game against the Ravens this weekend, . "I didn't get the offer back, and it is definitely kind of upsetting being there for four years and the bond that you grow with your teammates and stuff. The first few months, you definitely go through those feelings.
"Now after playing games, you just go by and just want to win games. You want to win with your teammates, your new teammates; you want to bond with those guys. Everything that you do as far as the organization that you're at now. Like I said, I will have feelings. Obviously, anybody in my position would this week, so I'm just taking one day at a time, whatever happens, happens."
Queen began his career with Baltimore as a first-round pick in the 2020 撸先生AV Draft out of LSU, one-fourth of a quartet of first-round linebackers chosen in that class. He was supposed to be a key piece in Baltimore's defense, but after four seasons of tumultuous performances -- including a career-worst Pro Football Focus grade of 29.7 as a rookie, and a Pro Bowl selection in 2023 -- the Ravens decided their future would be built around Roquan Smith, and not Queen.
It was a relatively simple decision from a personnel standpoint. That didn't make it any easier on Queen, who hasn't maintained relationships with the decision-makers in Baltimore. He's moved on.
"The only person I talked to is Roquan," Queen said. "I talked to him last week just so we could talk early in the week because we know we'll both be locked in. Probably not going to get any messages from anybody this week."
Queen traded purple and black for black and yellow, but it wasn't an easy transition. He started slowly, struggling to find a productive role in Pittsburgh over the first month. He's since recorded 32 tackles over his last four games, including three for loss, and his PFF coverage grades have improved slightly.
"I just had to look in the mirror and just say I had to get back to myself," Queen said. "I've been getting better these last few weeks. I just got to raise that standard."
Pittsburgh is ascending as a team, and Queen is along for the ride. Most importantly, he's happy to be with a team that wanted him, especially after the one that drafted him no longer did.
