Let’s talk about one of the more polarizing players on the Steelers roster going into 2026. Patrick Queen’s Steelers tenure has been a lightning rod for criticism, but the problem may not have been the player as much as the role.
According to PFF (I know, I know), Queen earned a 43.5 overall defensive grade, ranking 79th out of 88 qualified linebackers. His 32.4 coverage grade was 4th worst, and he was charged with 21% missed tackle rate, one of the worst marks in the league. He didn’t pass the eye test last season either, and as a Patrick Queen apologist, this is admittedly not great.
However, his 70.5 pass-rush grade ranked 9th among linebackers. He generated 17 pressures, 1 sack, and 8 TFL’s last season as a downhill disruptive force.
That split tells an important story.
The Steelers spent much of 2025 asking Queen to function as an every-down linebacker responsible for coverage assignments, communication duties, and significant sideline-to-sideline responsibilities. Those are areas where his weaknesses were exposed. He allowed a passer rating of 115.5 when targeted and logged more coverage snaps than any linebacker in football.
The solution isn’t replacing Queen, in my opinion. It’s redefining his role.
New defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has an opportunity to deploy Queen more like a weapon than a traffic cop. The numbers suggest Queen is at his best when attacking downhill, shooting gaps, blitzing, and disrupting plays before they develop. His pass-rush production and top-tier pass-rush grade demonstrate that he can still impact games when deployed aggressively.
With players such as Jalen Ramsey and new Free Agent acquisition Jaquan Brisker capable of handling significant coverage responsibilities and fellow LB Payton Wilson better suited for the sideline to sideline work, Pittsburgh no longer has to ask Queen to be it’s “do-it-all” LB. In his nickel-heavy defensive scheme, Graham can build packages that reduce Queen’s exposure in coverage and emphasize his strengths as a blitzed against the run and pass.
That doesn’t mean Queen becomes a part-time player. It means he becomes a specialized one. I envision More A-gap blitzes, more run blitzes, more simulated pressures, and more opportunities for Queen to attack rather than react. Instead of asking him to carry receivers down the field or cover vast amounts of space, the Steelers can put him in position to create negative plays.
If the Steelers really want to maximize their ceiling on defense in 2026, Patrick Graham needs to weaponize Patrick Queen as a backfield disruptor. Queen’s natural quickness and burst can be utilized more effectively that way, and if the Steelers can rely on other players to handle the assignments that expose his weaknesses, this defense has a chance to be a lot more sound and even more splashy in 2026