Trade buzz over Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen has cooled off after ramping up early this week. Still, it’s a worthwhile discussion. Is Pittsburgh better off keeping Queen for 2026 or trading him and starting fresh?

Below, I’m presenting both sides of the argument. The case to keep him. And the case to dump him.

Keep Patrick Queen

Queen and the Steelers’ defense did a terrible job communicating in 2024, Queen’s first year in the system and wearing the green dot. A concern that followed Queen from Baltimore was his ability to be the defensive play-caller and perform well individually. Those questions didn’t go away.

But things improved in 2025. Communication wasn’t perfect, but hardly the pain point it was the year before. Queen looked more comfortable in the system and scheme, a reasonable expectation for his second year. Of course, he’ll need to adjust to a new system in 2026, but things will be more familiar than they were when he first arrived.

While streaky, Queen’s hot streaks are impressive. He put together a strong stretch of football last season, playing well in wins over the Minnesota Vikings (11 tackles, 1 sack) and the Cleveland Browns (nine tackles, 1 pass deflection against TE David Njoku in the end zone before the half). I even noted it as the best stretch he ever displayed.

Patrick Queen has played out of his mind the last 2 games. Best football as a Steeler.

— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) October 12, 2025

That streak cooled off, and he rode the roller coaster all season. The highs are high, though. No denying that. Queen is tough and durable. He’s played through injury and illness and hasn’t missed a game in two years. Dating back to his time in Baltimore, Queen has played in 101 of a possible 101 games, giving him one of the league’s longest Ironman streaks.

In fact, Queen is one of only two defensive players and six total players who have not missed a game since 2020. Queen and Jake Matthews have played 101, while DB Siran Neal, QB Josh Allen, OL Alex Cappa, and OL Ted Karras have technically played 100 (they all lost one game due to the Bengals/Bills game being cancelled and not made up after Damar Hamlin’s in-game injury).

Queen should be judged on his own merits, but Pittsburgh needs to understand the roster without him. Payton Wilson hasn’t shown he can play in base/run downs, and has been a pure nickel player for most of his two seasons. The team attempted to play him in 3-4 groupings last year, but ended that experiment after two weeks, thanks to the run defense getting carved up by the New York Jets and Seattle Seahawks. The draft class is strong, but asking a rookie to come in, wear the green dot, and play 100 percent of the snaps is a big ask.

The free agency pool has dried up. It’s precisely why Dallas called in the first place. Trade Queen and Pittsburgh’s now wearing the big red clown shoes.

Communication got better throughout the season. Hot streaks are impressive. Plays hard, tough. So close to a better season, half a dozen almost sacks. Payton Wilson hasn’t shown he can play in all situations, rookie can’t wear the green dot on Day One, the FA class is empty and why teams are trying to trade.

Trade Patrick Queen

Queen simply hasn’t lived up to his three-year, $41 million contract, which made him the highest-paid outside free-agent signing in franchise history. His game was run too hot and cold. Queen was brought in to make splash plays and hasn’t. In two seasons, he has just two sacks, zero interceptions, and never more than eight tackles for loss in a single year. In Baltimore, he had nine or more all four seasons.

If almost-sacks were a stat, Queen would have a half-dozen of them last season. But close doesn’t cut it in the NFL.

Tackling is a sore spot. Our Josh Carney charted him for 27 misses last season, and an 18.5 percent miss rate. Perhaps some were less egregious than others, and his speed/range puts him in position more than slower-footed players, but that number simply isn’t acceptable. His overall run defense hasn’t been strong enough either, even if Queen has the right attitude and downhill mentality. Even with plenty of athleticism, Queen isn’t adept in coverage.

The biggest reason to deal Queen is the redundancy between him and Payton Wilson. Both are athletic, run-and-chase players who play best when clean and unblocked. Factor in Keeanu Benton acting as a non-traditional nose tackle, not the usual space eater featured in a 3-4, and it magnifies the problem even more.

Pittsburgh may feel better-served by having a more well-rounded and complete player at the position. The run defense hasn’t met the standard for two years, and something radical may need to change to address it.

My Decision

Here’s what I would do. The answer isn’t obvious either way. But I would keep Queen and play out the season. Pittsburgh simply does not have the proper means to replace him, and Queen’s shown enough highs to give him another year. He isn’t worthy of an extension, but he should get to play out 2026 and evaluate from there. Pittsburgh should draft the position, too, as a potential replacement plan.

The only way Queen should be dealt is if Pittsburgh is blown away by an offer. If Dallas does the same as last year and offers, say, a 2027 3rd round pick right after next month’s draft, that would be tough to turn down in a class where filling up on draft capital is a good play in the potential pursuit of a quarterback.