Steelers' Patrick Queen Gets Honest About How He Felt About TJ Watt Before Coming To Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a ton of new faces on the roster as they prepare for the 2024 season and highlighting that group might just be linebacker Patrick Queen. The former first-round pick was signed in free agency to a three-year deal, which wound up being the largest contract the Steelers have ever given out during free agency. Pittsburgh stole the linebacker from its biggest rival, the Baltimore Ravens. Queen has now gone from hating the black and gold, to joining it.

Baltimore and Pittsburgh have one of the most intense rivalries in the NFL. There is real hatred, and respect, between the two organizations. Queen made a radio appearance on Movin' The Chains on SiriusXM, where he spoke about how his thoughts have changed on Pittsburgh star outside linebacker TJ Watt. He has done a complete 180 on him since arriving in Pittsburgh.

"From seeing TJ from the outside view I was just like, I don't think he's like a nice guy. Like, I think he's just always uptight and stuff, but getting around him and stuff, he's like the most nice guy you'll ever meet."

Watt on the football field is definitely a scary sight, and he probably isn't too nice on the gridiron. None of the Watt brothers are. Off the field, he has been raved about as a teammate. He was mentoring Nick Herbig before he was even selected by the Steelers in the 2023 NFL Draft, and has been praised by his teammates for his continued leadership. 

It's understandable why someone in Baltimore might think that about Watt, but in Pittsburgh, he is the unquestioned leader that will wreck the game for the opposing football team.

Queen provides the Steelers with what they have been looking for since the devastating injury that ended the career of Ryan Shazier. He is a physical, elite tackler that can also provide adequate coverage on tight ends and running backs. Pittsburgh has been searching for their next great inside linebacker, and they might have found one in Queen. This will only help the production of Watt and the rest of the defense.

The inside linebacker had his best season in 2023, as he was named an All-Pro and a Pro-Bowler. He recorded over 130 tackles, and got in the backfield a decent amount as he tallied 3.5 sacks. His ball skills have shined throughout his career as well, as he has four interceptions. The Pittsburgh defense was already an impressive group, but now it gets even better with the addition of Queen.

Queen has been adapting to what it is like to play in Pittsburgh, as the practices definitely seem to be more intense than what he saw in Baltimore. He has been involved in some back and forth with Najee Harris, as the two continue to square off in backs on backers.

Steelers' Patrick Queen And Elandon Roberts Will Make An Elite Linebacker Duo

Elandon Roberts was the only Steelers linebacker who managed to go without suffering a devastating season-ending injury during the 2023 season. He recorded over 100 tackles in just 16 games, and is one of the best in the league when it comes to stopping the run. The duo will be one of the more intense and hard-hitting tandems at the linebacker position, which should strike up some fear in their opponents.

A lot has been said about Queen only having success in Baltimore because he was playing alongside one of the best linebackers in the league in Roquan Smith. Smith is elite, but Queen is on his way there as well. He comes into Pittsburgh with a nice supporting cast around him. He has one of the best edge rushing duos in the NFL, an All-Pro safety, and two budding stars at cornerback and on the defensive line. His production shouldn't dip at all in 2024, if anything, it should skyrocket. 

What do you think about Queen's initial thoughts on Watt? Let us know in the comments below!

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