Cowboys Exploring Trade With Steelers for Patrick Queen

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers could be moving on from a 2025 starter. According to NFL Network's Jane Slater, the Dallas Cowboys are interested in a trade for an inside linebacker, and Patrick Queen is one they are checking in on.

Queen was the Steelers green dot the last two seasons and is set to enter the final year of his three-year contract with Pittsburgh. According to Slater, the Cowboys are "looking at it" in terms of a deal with the Steelers for Queen.

For those asking:
1) Fred Warner calls “no don’t think so”
2) Patrick Queen: “looking at it” but this isn’t a strong pursuit right now.

Basically they are aware of the LB-ers out there. They want to add a veteran but being diligent. Injury history part of this, familiarity… https://t.co/0a9WiSW0mX
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) March 9, 2026

Queen is just 26 years old but coming out of his sixth season in the NFL. The two-time Pro Bowler recorded 120 tackles, eight tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and four pass deflections in 2025 while starting all 17 games for Pittsburgh.

He's started all 101 of his 101 career games.

Steelers Make Mysterious Signing

The Steelers may be preparing for a move with Queen. Before the legal tampering period began, they re-signed Cole Holcomb to a two-year contract extension, adding the veteran back to the linebacker room. They have not yet moved on from anyone else, but having five inside linebackers, all on decent contracts brings up questions.

Right now, Queen, Holcomb and Malik Harrison are all on veteran deals over extended periods of time. Once Holcomb was re-signed, it was expected that Harrison would be released, but it could be that Queen may be traded.

General manager Omar Khan sure made it sound like the team wanted to keep Queen during his interview at the 2026 NFL Combine.

"Yeah,PQ has been good for us. You know, I think he likes being here. We like having him be a part of the team. And you know, part of the process is going to be for him to get to know us,us to get to know him, but I'm excited about having him around," Khan said when asked if Queen was a contract extension candidate this offseason.

That time may have already passed as Pittsburgh and Dallas have conversations about a potential trade. Nothing is set in stone, but the Cowboys being able to have a conversation with the Steelers should indicate that there's some traction between the two sides.

As a for a replacement for Queen, the Steelers will look at Payton Wilson as a starter, but could also look at the NFL Draft. At the NFL Combine, they met with multiple first and second-round options like Anthony Hill Jr. and C.J. Allen.

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