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The Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Nick Harris reported the Pittsburgh Steelers could trade linebacker Patrick Queen soon.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Nick Harris put a kibosh on the possibility the Dallas Cowboys acquire linebacker Patrick Queen from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
But that doesn’t mean the Steelers won’t still trade Queen elsewhere.
Harris reported that’s not only possible but potentially happening soon.
“After a down year in 2025, Pittsburgh and Queen are expected to part ways this offseason, and a trade seems imminent for the former first-round pick,” Harris wrote on Friday. “Dallas had some intrigue in the building, but the team officially pulled out of its preliminary interest Thursday afternoon.”
Harris’s report contradicts what Steelers insiders and national pundits have said about the possibility of a Queen trade.
“I don’t quite get the fans’ discontent with Queen. It is not shared by the Steelers,” Dulac wrote in a fan chat Wednesday for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Teams get offers all the time. The Steelers got them last year about T.J. Watt.
“Here’s what I make of ’em — they’re rumors.”
Are the Steelers Close to Trading LB Patrick Queen?
Similar to a lot of NFL questions this time of year, the answer is different based on who you ask.
Dulac was pretty firm about the Steelers not interested in moving on from Queen.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter left open the possibility the team and linebacker may not have the perfect relationship. But Schefter still concluded the Steelers are not shopping Queen.
“Patrick Queen one is unusual because that also continues to float out there,” Schefter said on The Pat McAfee Show on March 10. “The Pittsburgh Steelers say they’re not interested in moving on from him.
“This could be maybe a money issue where he might be looking for more. Or maybe they want him to take a pay cut that he’s unwilling to take right now.”
Queen signed a record free agent contract in Steelers history two years ago. In 2026, he’s entering the final season of the 3-year, $41 million contract.
For this season, Queen will have a $17.19 million cap hit.
Schefter’s comments came the day after Harris reported the Cowboys were one of a few teams inquiring about Queen. At the time, Harris considered Dallas the front-runner to trade for the Steelers linebacker.
“I’m keeping an eye on Patrick Queen at the moment,” Harris wrote on X. “A handful of teams have called Pittsburgh about a trade here (including the Eagles). Dallas has kept a hand in that mix for this exact scenario, but there are still some things to work through and conversations behind the scenes to be had there.”
Why the Steelers Will Keep Patrick Queen
If Harris reported the Cowboys were close to trading for Queen, that would have been one thing. But it’s a pretty odd he reported the linebacker was essentially on the verge of getting trade despite the Cowboys dropping out of the alleged Queen sweepstakes.
During the entire first week of NFL free agency, pundits haven’t floated any other specific teams as suitors for Queen other than Dallas.
Therefore, it seems hardly likely a Queen trade is “imminent.” Different people, though, have various definitions for the word “imminent,” which is supposed to mean “about to happen.”
Pundits have suggested Queen as a trade candidate this offseason because he had a “down” 2025 campaign. The Steelers also have terrific linebacker depth, with Payton Wilson, Malik Harrison, Carson Bruener, and also Cole Holcomb all signed for 2026.
But Queen is still Pittsburgh’s best linebacker of that group, his cap hit is affordable and the team doesn’t need more salary cap room.
Even if the Steelers have doubts about Queen’s future tenure with the team, there aren’t a ton of great reasons to part ways with him immediately.
Dave Holcomb is a sports reporter covering the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions. Originally from Pittsburgh, Holcomb has covered college and professional sports for outlets including FanSided, Rotowire and Yardbarker. More about Dave Holcomb
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