Steelers Could Be Dangerous If This Defender Returns To Play With Patrick Queen

The Pittsburgh Steelers' offseason methodology has changed over the past couple of seasons with new General Manager Omar Khan at the helm. The team that once felt so conservative when managed by Kevin Colbert is now taking some risks. This includes the addition of Patrick Queen, an inside linebacker from the AFC North rival, Baltimore Ravens. 

It is no secret that the inside linebacker position has been challenging for Pittsburgh to fill in the past several years. First, they lost Ryan Shazier to a tragic spinal cord injury in 2017. Then, they moved up to draft Devin Bush in 2019, who displayed such promise at Michigan, but never fully returned to form after an ACL injury early in his professional career. Last season, the team brought Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander on board and hoped that the solid veteran presence of these two would solidify the middle of the defense. They both suffered season-ending injuries. The Steelers had to rely on a patchwork of depth players to get through the rest of the season. 

The future of Holcomb, who signed a three-year contract before the 2023 season, is still being determined. His knee injury was severe, and it is unclear if he will be able to return to the field by September and if there will be any lingering effects. While Head Coach Mike Tomlin's reports are encouraging, no specific date has been set for his return. On the other hand, Alexander was signed to a one-year contract and is currently an unrestricted free agent. His return is also uncertain as he continues to recover from his injury. 

Two former Steelers linebackers, Arthur Moats and Terence Garvin, know exactly how critical this position is to the defense. On a recent episode of Moats' podcast, The Arthur Moats Experience, on which Garvin is a frequent guest, he suggested the Steelers re-sign Alexander. 

"Let that get healed up. Then you got that and a Pat Queen? Oh man," said an excited Garvin. "A Pat Queen and a Kwon in the same room?"

Moats and his co-host Deke cautioned that Alexander might not be ready for the start of the season. They pointed out that his Achilles tear occurred late in the season, in November. Garvin mentioned that social media stories show Alexander was running and trying to prepare for the season.  

"That's an explosive little core. You get that healed up and that might not be a bad one to bring back in there. I like him. I think you get that with Patrick Queen; that's a nice one. He was playing really well. I think if you're a Steelers fan, like I think this is most excited you should be in the last five, six, seven years. It's got a shot right here. This team is filling up."

The Steelers still have other defensive needs, hopefully bringing Queen in patched one of the biggest. They need to find another cornerback, possibly in the draft, to put across from Joey Porter Jr. They also need to address the aging defensive line and start looking for Cameron Heyward's eventual replacement. 

The Steelers' defense was mostly successful during 2023, despite being plagued by injuries. However, it is definitely an aging defense. The average age of the 2023 defense was 28.4.   

Steelers Offense Will Be The Linchpin

While Garvin is excited about the team's direction, he thinks the offense will be the determining factor. The Steelers have brought in two veteran quarterbacks, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. While Tomlin has indicated Wilson will get first crack at starting, Garvin feels they cannot afford to waste time if he is struggling. He said they would need to bench Wilson if he isn't producing and give Fields a shot. 

Garvin and Moats hope the team is planning to bolster the offensive line early in the draft with a new offensive tackle and a center. Garvin thinks the Steelers will be hard to beat if they can get the run game going with Arthur Smith's new offense. 

The Steelers have not won a playoff game since the 2016 season when they beat the Kansas City Chiefs on the road in January 2017. While many analysts quickly point out that Tomlin has never had a losing season, the narrative is running thin for many fans.