PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It’s been several people over the last few years, so much so, it was an oft-asked question as to who will get the Steelers green dot, meaning who calls the defensive plays. No question, no rotating in 2024, the man relaying the defensive signals is first-year Steeler Patrick Queen.
For years the Steelers have been searching for a linebacker to do the things that Ryan Shazier did with several swings and misses. This offseason they went out and got Queen from the Ravens for three years, $41 million following a career-high 133 tackles (84 solo).
“We signed him because he had a great year, but it wasn’t just a one-off,” said Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin. “He’s played well ever since he was at Baltimore. We think he’s a three-down linebacker for us. He’ll go in with the green dot and he’ll be the guy out there on every snap.”
Austin called him unique for his ability to cover, but he can also blitz. He can stuff the run, but also defend the pass and they believe he’s a really sharp football player with a high IQ for the game. For those that believe he was making plays because he was next to linebacker Roquan Smith in Baltimore, Austin says he was trending in the right direction regardless and they expect that with the Steelers. So not only the player he was with the Ravens, but even better.
As veteran Steelers defensive lineman Montravius Adams put it, he brings ‘a lot of what we’ve been missing’. Austin said they can now build that linebacking corps around Queen, currently with Elandon Roberts, Cole Holcomb (when he returns from injury), Mark Robinson and rookie Payton Wilson.
A defense that did a lot of things well, especially rushing the passer, they have improved in stopping the run and forced 27 turnovers last year, eighth in the NFL. Now Austin believes the addition of Queen can take them to the next level.
“When you have a guy in there that is basically quarterbacking up front, I think that helps everybody,” Austin said. “It brings a calmness to everybody when that guy is the green dot and he’s making all the calls and he’s there every time.”
“I think that settles things down, sometimes it can get a little erratic. ‘Hey, who is calling it, who’s got it’. There have been times we’ve had to send it in from the sidelines. There have been times we’ve had different guys doing it. You have that one steady person, that’s really calming for the defense.”
Finally, the Steelers have that middle linebacker. They paid a lot for him and expect even more.