The Steelers might have to hold off on celebrating their latest addition, LB Patrick Queen. It was revealed in March this year that the former Ravens star had gone into free agency as they chose not to pick up his fifth-year option. The 24-year-old gave up his spot on the team to join a rival team. And he wound up getting some hate from his former teammates. However, now the athlete has a surprising warning for Russell Wilson’s team.

In a recent interview with Steelers DB, Queen opened up about joining the Pittsburgh team, his rivalry with the Ravens, and his expectations for the upcoming season. During the conversation, host Derrick Bell asked the athlete how a deal with Pittsburgh materialized so quickly. He also wanted to know whether other teams had been out to sign the LB. Without skipping a beat, the 24-year-old stated, “I just knew from all the like 15 teams that I was getting talked to, it came down to like 5 at the end.”

Even though Queen admitted that some other teams offered to pay him more, he chose to go with the Steelers and their $41 million contract. The athlete stated that the “difference was like four or five million.” However, the linebacker backed his decision by saying, “I never been on a losing team before and I also don’t want to be a part of anything being rebuilt because I’m trying to win now, even though I’m young I’m trying to win now.”

Most of Queen’s goals could align with the Steelers. However, the team and athlete might not see eye to eye on the rebuilding aspect, which began with Russell Wilson joining Pittsburgh earlier this year.

The Steelers’ road to rebuilding

After a rather mediocre season last year, the Steelers leveled up their players ahead of the upcoming season. In fact, the team has been trying to rebuild since 2019. With some bad plays over the years, some fans have claimed that head coach, Mike Tomlin, should be replaced. Well, that did not happen. Rather, the team utilized the NFL draft and free agency to its advantage.

By signing Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, Patrick Queen, Troy Fautanu, Zach Frazier, and more young stars, Pittsburgh created a roster that some teams could only dream of. With the Steelers struggling to win a playoff game since 2016, this upcoming season could be the one that puts them back on the top. With the rebuild practically complete, the linebacker’s concerns could be put to rest.

Despite this, it might be good for the Steelers to test out their strategies under new eyes, even if Mike Tomlin has a long-standing reputation for being one of the greats. For now, there is no saying what could end up happening.