Steelers' Patrick Queen opens up about 'crazy' Mike Tomlin departure

Linebacker Patrick Queen featured for the Baltimore Ravens from the 2020 NFL Draft up until he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a free agent in March 2024. 

Queen couldn't have imagined when he put pen to paper on his deal that head coach Mike Tomlin would step down from his role after spending 19 seasons as Pittsburgh's coach this past January. During a recent NFL Network appearance, Queen discussed Tomlin's departure that numerous Pittsburgh players seemingly didn't see coming.

Patrick Queen: Losing Mike Tomlin as head coach "sucked"

"It was crazy, especially when you come to a team for a guy like that," Queen said about Tomlin leaving the Steelers, per Eric Edholm of the NFL's website. "You want to be coached by the best, and that's how everybody looked at him. That's how we still feel about him. It sucked. It was random, like it just sucked the energy out of the entire place where, like, people started crying on the spot." 

During Queen's first two seasons with the Steelers, Tomlin guided the club to a pair of postseason berths. However, Pittsburgh ultimately lost the final seven playoff games of Tomlin's tenure. 

"It was just a moment I don't think a lot of people experience unless you went through something where the players were connected with the coach like that," Queen added about how he and his teammates reacted to Tomlin telling them he was leaving the organization. "So it definitely sucked. I learned a lot from Mike T. He was a good guy, good coach, one of the hardest workers I've ever known. Loved football, loved the game, loved to watch it all day. It's just unfortunate that he left a little early."

Patrick Queen is high on what Mike McCarthy can offer the Steelers

Like Tomlin, new Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy knows what it's like to lead a team to a Super Bowl championship. McCarthy and his players are currently learning more about each other during the Steelers' offseason program. 

"He's fired up, man. He's a good dude," Queen said about McCarthy. "You can tell he loves football. He's very organized, detailed. It's just the way he approaches it. We'll know more going into the next few weeks of how he wants everything done and what to expect and all that. But from what I can tell … he's really energetic and really thinks Pittsburgh football can get back."

Part of the process of getting Steelers football "back" to where McCarthy wants it to be seemingly involves having Aaron Rodgers serve as the club's starting quarterback for one more season. Queen thinks there's a "50-50" chance that Rodgers could choose retirement over returning to the Steelers for a walk-off campaign.