There is nothing quite like a player leaving in free agency and signing with what was a division rival. That gets amped up a notch when it is the AFC North, and the player is leaving the Baltimore Ravens to join the Pittsburgh Steelers. That is what happened with now-former Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen.
Queen has reportedly agreed to a three-year $41 million contract with the Steelers. This is a massive interdivisional move that is going to impact the defenses of both franchises. Pittsburgh is getting a player coming off a career-high 133 tackles, 84 of which were solo. This is exactly the type of player that can be a game-changer from day one for Pittsburgh.
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Meanwhile, Baltimore will now be tasked with replacing their second-highest tackler from last year and their leading tackler from the three years preceding it. Baltimore is going to have a tough time finding someone capable of making up for that volume of tackles. The Ravens may have to look for multiple options to replace Queen’s production rather than just one. Luckily, Baltimore’s leading tackler, Roquan Smith, is still under contract through 2027. That should make their efforts a little bit easier when it comes to making up for the lost production of Queen.