One Steelers Player Who Just Dodged a Major Draft-Day Bullet

The Pittsburgh Steelers are bringing in one of the larger rookie classes in the league after making 10 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.

The Steelers were able to fill a majority of their remaining roster holes as a result, but they notably opted not to address the inside linebacker position.

Patrick Queen had previously appeared to be in danger of either being cut or traded this offseason, and a potential Day 1 or 2 selection could've eaten into his snaps, but the 26-year-old emerged from the draft as a clear winner instead.

Queen's in Good Shape

With a new defensive coordinator in Patrick Queen set to implement his system, there was always a chance for some roster upheaval.

Instead, however, the Steelers' defensive core largely remains the same in 2026 as it did in 2025 with some new faces being added into the mix rather than removed from it.

Queen stuck out like a sore thumb as a player who could've been released earlier in the offseason because none of his salary for this upcoming campaign was initially guaranteed.

Pittsburgh would've saved $13.330 million by letting Queen go while taking on $3.863 million, but the organization later paid out his $2.5 million roster bonus, essentially making his potential release all the more unlikely.

The team would recoup $10.830 million if Queen were cut while simultaneously incurring $6.363 million in dead money, and a trade would still free up $13.330 million, but there's no real reason for them to part ways with the former first-round pick at this point.

Dec 15, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen (6) drops into coverage against the Miami Dolphins during the second half at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

It could've been a different story had the Steelers used one of their first picks in the draft on an inside linebacker, though, as a fair amount of experts and analysts believed they would.

If an early-round rookie had been tossed into the mix following a 2025 campaign that was marred by inconsistent play from Queen, evidenced by his league-leading 32 tackles according to Pro Football Focus, he could've found himself as an odd man out in the last year of his $41 million contract.

Pittsburgh's inside linebacker room is the exact same as it was last season, however, with Cole Holcomb re-signing on a two-year deal and Malik Harrison not being let go as Payton Wilson, a 2024 third-round pick, also returns for his third campaign.

Is it possible Queen doesn't play 96 percent of the Steelers' defensive snaps like he did in 2025? Sure.

Considering the fact that his role, and perhaps even his job, were on the line ahead of the draft, though, he's in a much better spot than it originally seemed he'd be.

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