Carolina Panthers Should Be Keeping Tabs on Pittsburgh Steelers Cut Candidate

One analyst believes the Pittsburgh Steelers have a clear cut candidate and he plays at a position of need for the Carolina Panthers.

Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers could use an upgrade at linebacker before the start of the season.

One player the Panthers should keep a close eye on is Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen, who was dubbed a cut candidate by Bleacher Report's Alex Kay.

Kay points to Queen's disappointing tenure in Pittsburgh and the amount of money the Steelers could save as the reasons why Pittsburgh might cut ties with the veteran.

"Queen has been an inconsistent defender during his tenure with the Steelers, making plenty of great plays while also missing assignments and whiffing on tackles," Kay wrote.

"Releasing Queen would save Pittsburgh nearly $11 million against the cap, money that it could allocate toward finding a cheaper replacement and still have cash available to spend elsewhere."

Queen has been the subject of trade rumors this offseason, but there has been nothing to suggest the Steelers would actually release or trade him, especially at this stage in the offseason.

Why Panthers need a linebacker upgrade

Carolina Panthers linebacker Trevin Wallace. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Panthers are solid at one linebacker spot with Devin Lloyd, who was signed in free agency earlier this offseason. However, Lloyd's running mate, Trevin Wallace, is better suited to be a backup rather than a starter.

Wallace ranked 55th out of 88 linebackers in overall grade last season, according to Pro Football Focus, and he was particularly bad against the run, with Wallace's 43.3 run defense grade ranking as the fifth-worst at his position.

While Queen is hardly a lock to be the upgrade the Panthers need after he sported a worse overall grade than Wallace in 2025, it certainly wouldn't hurt to add him to the mix, especially if he comes cheap following a release from the Steelers.

And maybe the Panthers can unlock the top-notch linebacker Queen was during his days with the Baltimore Ravens.

Will the Steelers cut Patrick Queen?

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen. | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

At this point, it would be shocking to see the Steelers cut Queen. If anything, they'll trade him, but even that seems unlikely.

Sure, the Steelers could use the cap space created by cutting ties with Queen with the team only having $3.1 million to operate with, which isn't enough to get through the season with.

However, Pittsburgh would then have to replace Queen and the team doesn't have a clear solution to do that on the roster.

That means Pittsburgh would have to dip into free agency, where the options are slim, and signing someone would cut into the funds created by parting ways with Queen.

Chances are Queen is going to remain with the Steelers until at least the trade deadline, and he won't be moved then, either, if Pittsburgh is in the hunt for a playoff spot.