Steelers' Mike Tomlin Absolutely Loves Patrick Queen In The Black And Gold: "It's Like He Was Drafted Here"

The Pittsburgh Steelers found their new defensive star in 2024 free agency by signing Patrick Queen to a three-year deal worth $41 million. The 2023 Pro Bowler left the Steelers' AFC North rival Baltimore Ravens to come play for Mike Tomlin and company. Queen and Tomlin have gotten off to a fantastic start during their offseason, and the Steelers' head coach couldn't help but smile when Kay Adams asked about him on Saturday.

Queen's been exciting a lot of Steeler Nation with his performances in training camp lately. There's no question in why the Steelers thought this guy could come in and be the next generational talent at middle linebacker. Queen's been flying all over the field and making nice tackles, while also getting very chippy with the running backs during their backs-on-backers drill. 

Before Saturday's afternoon practice, which was delayed due to severe weather, Adams got a chance to interview the Steelers' head coach. Asking about Queen's presence and contribution to the defense, Tomlin was all smiles. 

Queen has been a big part of why Pittsburgh's practices have seemed so intense this year. Every Steelers training camp is fiery, but this season just seems different. Queen's addition with the others just completes Pittsburgh's defense so much more compared to recent years. He's having a major impact on their performance and is a total confidence booster. Tomlin mentioned to Adams that they brought Queen in specifically to become the "defensive quarterback."

"I love PQ man, it's like he was drafted here, man. He is a Steeler," Tomlin said. "He loves to compete. He comes ready. He's highly conditioned. He's an unbelievable competitor. He's got a good feel for the game. He's doing a really good job of being a hub of communication for us defensively as a new guy. We employed him to be our defensive quarterback, and so, it's added responsibilities other than play-making. He just really seems open to it."

Tomlin has continually said great things about Queen since the moment they signed him. Queen is going into his fifth career season and has already accounted for over 450 tackles. 

Queen will have the responsibility of wearing the green dot as the defensive quarterback, which means it'll be his responsibility to communicate with the rest of the defense. Adams questioned Tomlin about the importance of the green dot, and why superstars like TJ Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick aren't given that task. 

"The guy on the second level, a guy that's able to communicate with those in front of him, like TJ [Watt] and Cam [Heyward], and communicate with those behind him, it is a component of the job. So yeah he's a green dot, and I call that defensive quarterback. He's adjusted to it great." 

Queen will hopefully be the piece that brings the defense together to become the best unit in the NFL. He's a great tackler which will help in the run defense as well as in the pass defense, which has been noticeable when the Steelers' offense tries to run a screen at practice. 

Steelers' Linebackers And Running Backs Bringing The Intensity 

Queen and Elandon Roberts have had some insane drills, facing off against Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. Whenever Tomlin and the Steelers decide to run their backs-on-backers drill at practice, those four never disappoint. The running backs have somewhat surprisingly held their grounds against the tough backers, and there's always some smack talk going on during. Harris and Warren have a physical mindset more than ever, which is what they want their identity to be on offense. 

What do you make of Tomlin's comments on Queen? How will his presence affect this defense? What do you think of the running backs holding their ground against Queen and Roberts? Let us know in the comments below.

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