In an exclusive interview with Derrick Bell of Steelers Now, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen touched on several topics. One of them was the transition to the other side of the Steelers-Ravens rivalry. Queen spent his first four seasons in Baltimore and loathed the Steelers.
Now that he’s on the opposite side, he looks forward to playing the villain role.
“That week, the Steelers-Ravens week is definitely the most hype week,” Queen told Bell in an interview on the Steelers DB YouTube Channel. “It’s intense. Everything is at a higher risk. At practice, coaches are screaming and fussing and this and that. Because everybody knows what type of game it’s going to be. … Being on this side now, it’s going to be the opposite. So now I’m going to be on this side doing the same stuff. I know they expect all that stuff now. Honestly, (I) just can’t wait.”
Queen and the Steelers will face the Ravens in Week 11 at Acrisure Stadium. In Week 16, Queen will return to Baltimore for the first time, which should be an hostile environment.
A lot of Ravens fans on social media have given Queen flak over signing with a rival team. Queen’s former teammates joked around with him, but there was no bad blood. It was just playful banter. Players understand that it’s a business and there’s only so many opportunities to make life-changing money.
One Ravens fan recently claimed on X that Baltimore had no interest in re-signing Queen and he’s a sloppy second for Pittsburgh.
Queen clapped back, “I can drop numbers but there’s no need. I’m where I WANT to be. Stop mentioning me this what I mean when I say rent free on here lying bout deals.”
This is not the first time that Ravens fans got under Queen’s skin.
“Honestly bruh y’all can stfu now. It’s not even that deep for us players until game week and y’all can’t understand the fact it wasn’t up to me,” Queen wrote on X about signing with the Steelers. “I gave y’all everything I had now when it’s time for me to do what I need y’all hurt bout everything I say. Go touch some grass and fill the void in y’all life. To ones still showing love even with the switch this not to y’all.”
Queen also told Bell that he had opportunities to earn more money elsewhere but chose Pittsburgh because he is focused on winning right now. This news certainly didn’t sit well with Ravens fans on social media, either.
“From the 15 teams that I was talking to it came down to like five at the end. It was five teams in the mix. Some were offering some seventeens ($17 million per year). I had a chance to either go win or a chance to get paid. For me, the difference was like four or five million. I’m looking at like I have never been on a losing team before. I also don’t want to be part of anything being rebuilt because I’m trying to win now,” Queen said.