Queen, 26, is heading into the final season of his three-year deal with Pittsburgh. He told reporters there has been “nothing crazy” in terms of conversations between his representatives and the Steelers regarding an extension.
Without a new deal imminently looming, it made sense for some to identify the potential for a trade, even if it turned out to be a case of more smoke than fire.
“Some of it was true, but some of it was extended truth, just people rambling and stuff,” Queen said. “That’s what you can have with social media nowadays. You know, everybody wants the first say whatever happens — and wants to hope to be right. [There were] very [few] facts out there.”
Queen also likely attracted attention because of how valuable he’s considered around the league due to his durability and output.
He’s made 101 consecutive starts to begin his career and delivered 100-tackle campaigns in five of his six NFL seasons. A two-time Pro Bowler, he led the Steelers in tackles in 2024 and was second on the team in 2025, his 120 takedowns trailing fellow off-ball LB Payton Wilson by six.
He is a key cog in the middle of Pittsburgh’s defense as the Steelers venture into unfamiliar territory beyond the Mike Tomlin era, which began when Queen was just 8 years old. Mike McCarthy’s first year as head coach andAaron Rodgers‘s last dance has a far better chance of being successful with Queen on the roster than off of it, especially as the Steelers defense looks to get back on track after falling out of the top 10 in points allowed for the first time since 2021.
Queen is content to help Pittsburgh in that endeavor in a vacuum. Dismissive of any previous trade chatter and unbothered by his contract status, he has no need to look beyond the upcoming season to focus on the task at hand.
“I’ve got a good amount of money coming in this year,” Queen said. “So at the end of the day, I couldn’t care less. If they do want to extend, cool. If not, cool. At the end of the day, it’s a business.”
