Patrick Queen And The Steelers Are Infusing Each Other
Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
As the Steelers suffered their way through last season’s inside linebacker troubles, Mike Tomlin knew a change was necessary. “We can’t make December calls with September people,” the head coach said after trying seven different replacement options. This off-season Tomlin got his December linebacker in the form of former Baltimore Raven Patrick Queen.
“We needed to acquire a defensive quarterback, and we did that in Patrick Queen,” Tomlin told CBS Sports HQ at the end of July. “It’s been a beautiful experience, man. It’s been really enjoyable infusing him into this thing, and that’s what we’re really excited about.”
Infusing is a perfect word, as it’s a word that implies that the flow goes both ways. Queen hasn’t just infused his presence into the Steelers, the Steelers are infusing their ways into Queen. The linebacker may have thought he knew Pittsburgh well, having seen them twice a year, but he’s quickly learning how different things actually are in Mr. Tomlin’s neighborhood.
“I didn’t [know]… about the Steelers’ physical, full-contact practices.” Queen told SiriusXM’s ‘Moving The Chains’ “Breiden [Fehoko] actually texted me when I signed. He was like, ‘Get ready for Latrobe.’ I was like, ‘What do you mean?’ He was like, ‘It’s just like LSU camp,’ So I was like, ‘As far as tackling?’ and he was like, ‘Yup!’ I was like, ‘…okay, cool.’ In the NFL, it’s kind of crazy to tackle at practice.”
That’s right, the pristine fields at Latrobe are one of the league’s last bastions of hard-nosed, tough-guy football and the physical Queen is happily immersing himself in it. It’s a perfect match. There’s a defensive energy leaping off the field in camp that this team has been desperate for the past few seasons. It’s like watching a cool car turn into a transformer.
But it’s not just the style that Queen is getting to know, it’s also his teammates. “From seeing T.J. from the outside view was just like, ‘I don’t think he’s like a nice guy.’… I think he’s just always uptight and stuff,” Queen added of his superstar front-seven mate T.J. Watt. “But getting around him and stuff, he’s just like the most nice guy you’ll ever meet and stuff.”
It’s fun to see such a good player become entrenched in not just a good football team, but a truly great organization. The Steelers are driven by consistency and commitment, and the organization tends to elevate most veterans that come their way. Any elevation of Queens play would be a potential season-changer. He was exceptional last year, earning an All-Pro nod while recording 133 tackles, 3.5 sacks, a forced fumble and an interception. What happens once Tomlin starts molding him? And what happens when Queen starts molding the Steelers?
There is truly nothing like the Steeler Way. When guys get to see it up close for the first time, it can be revelatory. For Tomlin and the defense’s sake, let’s hope Queen’s corresponding performance will be the same. If this preseason infusion we’ve seen is any predictor, at the very least Tomlin shouldn’t have to worry about making any of those December calls.
Up Next