You might hear chatter about Patrick Queen’s future with the Steelers, but the call is not coming from inside the house. During the Combine, GM Omar Khan certainly seemed to indicate the veteran inside linebacker isn’t going anywhere. That is the same sentiment gleaned by Gerry Dulac, based on his recent chat session.

Asked about the “chatter” regarding Queen’s status with the Steelers going into 2026, Dulac responded that “The chatter is not coming from the Steelers. Another reader asked if the Steelers “received full value” from Queen based on his contract. “I think so”, he wrote, “and I’m surprised at the amount of people who don’t think so”.

A former first-round pick of the Ravens, Patrick Queen signed with the Steelers in free agency in 2024. He has been the team’s every-down linebacker since then, logging 2,202 snaps and 249 tackles. Queen also has 14 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 11 passes defensed, and 3 forced fumbles with Pittsburgh. He made the Pro Bowl in his first season here, but not in 2025.

The Ravens did not pick up Patrick Queen’s fifth-year option, allowing him to hit free agency in 2024. The Steelers pressed hard for him, signing him to a three-year, $41 million deal. This year, he is due $13,330,000, including a $2,500,000 roster bonus. His total cap hit amounts to $17,193,334, which is slightly less than last year.

However, there is no guaranteed money tied to Queen’s contract. If they were to release him, they would save the full $13,330,000 owed to him, minus displacement. The move would create $3,863,334 in dead cap space, the remainder of his $11,590,000 initial signing bonus unaccounted for.

But if the Steelers released Patrick Queen, what would they do? Both Payton Wilson and Malik Harrison were part-time players last season; do you turn both of them into full-time starters? Pittsburgh was optimistic about Wilson, but they scaled back his playing time because he struggled. They relied on Harrison for run downs, but they don’t trust him on passing downs.

Parting with Queen would create a considerable hole in the middle of the Steelers’ defense, and they have no pressing cap concerns going into the offseason. There’s no reason to think they couldn’t afford to pay him, so it’s logical to assume that they will.

The free agency market at the position isn’t exactly bustling, either, headed by a number of 30-somethings like Bobby Wagner and Lavonte David and Demario Davis. They could bring back Elandon Roberts, who worked with new Steelers DC Patrick Graham in Las Vegas. But he’s not an every-down player, either. The best approximation of Patrick Queen available is quite possible Patrick Queen himself.