Steelers Fans Get Definitive Answer On Surreal Trade Speculation

The Pittsburgh Steelers always find themselves in the middle of some trade rumors, especially during the offseason. In recent years, the trade rumors have revolved around player acquisition for the Steelers, but lately that trend has changed over to other teams acquiring players from the Steelers. Most of the players mentioned play on the defensive side of the ball, with the typical exception being tight end Pat Freiermuth as many have speculated that he might not be happy with how he has been used in recent years. On defense, TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith, Jalen Ramsey, and Patrick Queen have all been mentioned in some sort of trade rumor.

The strongest trade rumor of the 2026 offseason so far has been involving Queen, with him strongly linked to the Dallas Cowboys. It was reported by some members of the Dallas media that there was a strong line of communication between the Steelers and the Cowboys, but a deal never truly materialized. Beat writer Mark Kaboly was asked about this during an appearance on 93.7 The Fan. He was asked about the chances of Pittsburgh drafting an inside linebacker with a high pick, and suggested it was a possibility while tossing the idea of Queen being traded.

"Yeah, I definitely think that," Kaboly said. "First of all, Queen’s not going anywhere. Second of all, he is a free agent next year, and that doesn’t mean he’ll be back. So that position is kind of iffy beyond that. I mean, I think Payton Wilson led the team in tackles last year, and he only played 600 snaps. I think he didn’t play as well as we anticipated, but he did play well. I think he is the future at that position."

Kaboly believes that Queen will be playing the final year of his contract in Pittsburgh, but he doesn't sound too optimistic about the linebacker being back past the 2026 season. Queen, the linebacker that is on the field on every defensive snap, going into the final year of his deal likely means that the Steelers will have to draft a player at the position somewhat high. Probably on Day 2.

Kaboly also mentioned Payton Wilson and how he is probably the future at the inside linebacker position. He led the team in tackles in 2025, but he still showed some signs of a struggle against the run in his second season. The Steelers will need him to improve in that area before entrusting him with the same role as Queen. Kaboly doubled down that Queen will not be going anywhere before the 2026 season.

"Like I said, Queen’s not going anywhere now that they gave him the money," Kaboly said. "I don’t think there was anything to that. He had 100 tackles last year, he just needs to be more consistent."

If a trade for Queen were going to happen, it would have already been done. The new league year has already begun, and the inside linebacker was owed a $2.5 million bonus on the third day of the league year. That cash has already been paid out to Queen, and the franchise would not get it back if he were to be dealt via trade. That is the main reason Kaboly is so certain he won't be going anywhere.

Steelers' Value On Patrick Queen Has Gone Up

Kaboly's reasoning for the organization being unwilling to deal Queen is solid, however a trade can still be possible, just unlikely. The team would probably still listen to calls on the defender while just asking for more in compensation since the bonus has already been paid out. However, it is more likely than not that Queen will be on the roster in 2026.