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Key PointsPatrick Queen exited the game with a hip injury before halftime against the Bills.Steelers announced Queen’s status in the third quarter.Queen’s absence challenges Pittsburgh’s defense in a close game, trailing 10-7 after halftime.
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense will need to be at its best Sunday against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. Patrick Queen has been one of the most important players on Pittsburgh’s defense, and he is expected to play a crucial role against Allen and Co. The bad news for the Steelers, however, is that Queen had to leave the game in the first half due to an injury.
Pittsburgh took to social media shortly after Queen’s untimely exit to provide a concerning update on the two-time Pro Bowl linebacker. It now appears the Steelers will need to navigate the rest of the game without one of their best players on defense.
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen looks at the scoreboard during a game against the Cleveland Browns. — Source: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images
Queen, who played the first four years of his career with the Baltimore Ravens, is now in his second season with the Steelers. In 2024, he signed a three-year, $41 million deal with Pittsburgh and has since proven that he is worth every penny of his big-money contract.
Queen has started all 12 games for the Steelers this season, including Sunday’s contest, but he is now in danger of missing time after an injury against the Bills. The 26-year-old was forced to exit the contest with a little over two minutes remaining in the first half due to a hip injury.
Queen signaled to the bench after tweaking his hip. He then fell to the ground and had to be assisted by the medical team.
Not too long after Queen’s exit, the Steelers took to social media to announce his status for the game.
“#Steelers LB Patrick Queen has a hip injury and is questionable to return to today’s game,” announced Steelers Senior Director of Communications Burt Lauten on X.
After the break, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said that he was unsure of Queen’s status. A few minutes later, it was announced that Queen would not be able to return to the game.
“UPDATE: Patrick Queen (hip) has been downgraded to OUT for the rest of today’s game,” Lauten posted.
Pittsburgh now has no choice but to see out the remainder of the contest without Queen. As of this writing, the Bills are up, 23-7.
About the author
Trending News Writer, Athlon Sports
Paolo Songco is a senior writer on Athlon Sports’ breaking and trending news team, where he focuses primarily on the NBA and WNBA while also contributing NFL coverage. With more than a decade of experience in sports media, he has written over 20,000 articles and interviewed athletes such as former NFL star Rob Gronkowski and Olympic silver medalist Samantha Peszek. A graduate of Ateneo de Manila University with a degree in Management Information Systems, Paolo is one of Athlon’s most prolific and trusted voices in basketball coverage.