Patrick Queen was the Pittsburgh Steelers’ big addition in 2024. He was coming off his best season yet, being named a second-team All-Pro with the Baltimore Ravens. Middle linebacker had been an issue for the Steelers for years, and it looked like Queen would give them a long-term solution. While he hasn’t been bad, Queen hasn’t lived up to expectations, either. However, there might be a reason for that with Queen revealing that he played through injuries for the entire 2025 season.
“I’ve just got so much respect for the position now,” Queen said recently on The Football Frame of Mind podcast. “I would never ever talk about another guy at my position. It would only be good things because I know what goes into this position. I know it’s a lot, especially after playing this season hurt, the whole season.”
It’s unclear what exactly bothered Queen, but he said on Twitter in December that he had been playing on one leg. At the time, it seemed like he was referring to the injury he suffered a week before against the Buffalo Bills. However, Queen might’ve been battling through pain for much longer than that, with it starting to catch up with him down the stretch.
Still, Queen didn’t miss a single game. Despite going down in back-to-back weeks against the Bills and Ravens, Queen kept coming back. That’s after he played through an illness in the Steelers’ postseason game the year before. Say what you want about him, but Queen’s toughness cannot be questioned.
Also, despite being beaten up, Queen had a fine season. He recorded 120 tackles, eight tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. While he still didn’t quite live up to his price tag, he wasn’t the Steelers’ biggest defensive problem.
However, that didn’t make his roster spot safe entering this offseason. Queen looked like a cut candidate, and while he has avoided that fate, his name popped up in trade rumors.
It seems like Queen’s sticking with the Steelers, at least for now. Perhaps he’ll better live up to his potential if he stays healthy in 2026. With only one year left on his contract, he’s probably hoping to get back to that All-Pro level. That would mean a nice pay day for him next offseason. Queen’s only 26, so there’s no reason to give up on him yet.