Former Ravens Star LB's Injury May Foil Return Game

The Baltimore Ravens have spent the last few days since their embarrassing Thanksgiving Day loss to the Cincinnati Bengals licking their wounds, attempting to ready themselves for whatever it takes to avoid falling any further than their 6-6 record to keep any hope of winning the AFC North alive.

Up next on their schedule stands another inter-divisional matchup, their second in a three-week gauntlet of northern rivals. Sandwiched between two games against the Bengals sits the Pittsburgh Steelers, who were already far from your average division-leaders at 6-6, but developments that took place during their most recent loss look to alter Baltimore's game plan.

One of the players that many Ravens were likely most looking forward to squaring off against was former Baltimore linebacker Patrick Queen, who was ruled out midway through the 26-7 whooping that the Steelers accepted from the Buffalo Bills. He hurt his hip right around when the game started tilting in the Bills' favor, throwing his status in a potential return game into jeopardy.

UPDATE: Patrick Queen (hip) has been downgraded to OUT for the rest of today's game.
— Burt Lauten (@SteelersPRBurt) November 30, 2025

Steelers Misfortune Could Benefit Ravens

Queen headlined a loaded assortment of mid-game injuries the Steelers sustained; whether he actually suits up in Baltimore won't spare the still-battered Pittsburgh roster from another typically grueling northern matchup. His defense couldn't even stop the Bills' run game at full strength, and veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers was in and out of the game after taking hits to the face and his already aggravated wrist.

And Queen would have been especially valuable in such a matchup. Even if Lamar Jackson's offensive line had held up against the Ravens' first dozen opponents, the linebacker is plenty familiar with his upcoming opponent, having made a name for himself as a featured contributor up until just two seasons ago.

Baltimore Ravens Linebacker Patrick Queen — Baltimore Ravens cornerback Brandon Stephens (21) celebrates in the end zone after teammate Baltimore Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen (6) recovered Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence's (16) early fourth quarter fumble. The Jacksonville Jaguars hosted the Baltimore Ravens at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida Sunday Night, December 17, 2023. The Jaguars trailed 10 to 0 at the half and lost 23 to 7. | Bob Self/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

The former first-round pick built himself up into one of the league's elite takedown men in his final season in Baltimore, collecting a career-high 133 combined tackles that he's yet to top despite making a second-straight Pro Bowl game in his first year away from the Ravens in 2024.

Regardless, the team he was drafted to let him walk to a hated rival, much to the playful annoyance of his former teammates, where he's yet to create the same magic that he demonstrated as a key member of the 2023 conference finalists.

The Ravens could greatly benefit from an ill-timed absence from Queen, potentially adding to a division lead that they'd only recently seized in their first game of the 2025 slate against the Steelers. The Ravens won back the rights to the No. 4 seed after the Bills' win in Pittsburgh, making them the only sub-eight-win team in the current playoff picture as another reminder of how important it is that they remain clear of wild card opportunists.

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