Patrick Queen leaving the Ravens was a foregone conclusion this offseason, but where the free-agent inside linebacker elected to go could help reignite one of the NFL’s best rivalries.
On Tuesday, the 24-year-old agreed to a three-year, $41 million contract with Pittsburgh, a decision that certainly didn’t sit well with Baltimore fans still coming to grips with losing a Pro Bowl talent from the NFL’s best defense last season. Of course, Queen is hardly the first player to move from one side of the AFC North rivalry to the other, but the 2020 first-round pick from LSU is the most notable to make a direct defection in his prime. Yes, Hall of Fame defensive back Rod Woodson played for both the Steelers and Ravens, but he had a one-year buffer in San Francisco in 1997 and the rivalry didn’t begin gaining meaningful traction until Woodson had already been in Baltimore for a few years.
With Queen receiving just $13.84 million guaranteed from the Steelers and the deal carrying an average annual value of $13.67 million, it’s safe to say his market wasn’t as lucrative as many anticipated, meaning no one should seriously fault Queen’s business decision after the Ravens committed a $100 million deal to fellow Pro Bowl inside linebacker Roquan Smith and didn’t exercise his fifth-year option last spring. But that doesn’t mean Ravens fans have to like it from a football standpoint, which could serve as a shot in the arm this rivalry needs.
To put it in pro wrestling terms, Queen pulled off quite the heel turn in the eyes of Baltimore fans.
It’s no secret that Ravens-Steelers has cooled in recent years with Hall of Famers from each side retiring and star quarterback Lamar Jackson playing in just three of the last nine meetings. Pittsburgh has won seven of the last eight against Baltimore, but that streak rings hollow with Jackson sitting out five of those contests and the Steelers not exactly resembling a serious Super Bowl contender over the last few years anyway. Simply put, it’s been a long time since these teams were really good at the same time and clashing at full strength.
Forming one of the NFL’s best inside linebacker duos over the last two years, Queen and Smith are no strangers to trash talk, which should add some spice when these teams meet this fall. On Tuesday, some of Queen’s former teammates wasted no time talking trash on social media with fullback Patrick Ricard offering an entertaining jab, which also referenced the Ravens coming to terms with four-time Pro Bowl running back Derrick Henry earlier in the day.
As for what this defection means from an on-field standpoint, the Ravens are expected to turn to 2023 third-round pick Trenton Simpson, whom many viewed as Queen’s successor when he was drafted out of Clemson last spring. And while there are likely to be some growing pains for a 22-year-old who played just 46 defensive snaps as a rookie, Smith’s presence should ease Simpson’s learning curve in a similar way to how the All-Pro linebacker’s arrival helped Queen.
Meanwhile, Pittsburgh has struggled for years to fill the void of two-time Pro Bowl inside linebacker Ryan Shazier, whose career was cut short by a neck injury late in the 2017 season. Even if Queen’s star benefitted from playing next to Smith the last two seasons, he’s more than proven himself to be a high-quality NFL linebacker after overcoming a rocky start to his career.
If nothing else, fans of both teams can hope this move heats up a rivalry that’s gone cold in recent years.
