As expected, a number of free agents have departed the Ravens this offseason. Last year’s top seed in the AFC faced the prospect of losing a number of starters, and linebacker Patrick Queen was among those who quickly found a new home on the open market.

The 2023 Pro Bowler signed with the division-rival Steelers on a three-year deal which was agreed to on the second day of the negotiating period. Queen’s pact carries an annual average value of $13.67MM, the fifth-highest figure in the league amongst inside linebackers. After 2024, though, the deal is essentially set up as a year-to-year agreement, marking a surprising lack of long-term security for the second-team All-Pro.

Especially against that backdrop, it is also noteworthy the Ravens remained consigned to the idea of Queen leaving on the open market. Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic notes Baltimore “made no effort this offseason” to retain the 24-year-old (subscription required). The team had a number of other priorities to deal with, and as one of the top free agents on the defensive side of the ball Queen was positioned to command a large market. Even though he worked out a relatively small deal (at least in terms of upfront guarantees), the Ravens clearly turned their attention elsewhere.

Of course, three key decisions made by the team signaled an end to Queen’s time in Baltimore. The Ravens acquired Roquan Smith midway through the 2022 campaign, inking him to a $20MM-per-year deal shortly thereafter. That contract remains at the top of the LB market, and making a similar commitment to Queen would have proven to be a steep financial challenge. Baltimore also elected to decline Queen’s fifth-year option last spring, a move which fell in line with the other linebackers from the 2020 class but nevertheless set up 2023 as a walk year.

Lastly, Baltimore selected Trenton Simpson in the third round of last year’s draft. That provided the team with a potential Queen successor, and Simpson is indeed currently positioned to take over as a starter alongside Smith. The latter is on the books through 2027, but the Ravens could of course use the 2024 draft to add a depth option at the linebacker spot.

Queen will face substantial expectations as a key member of the Steelers’ defense moving forward, and annual contests against Baltimore will provide fodder for storylines centered on him. While it is little surprise he will be suiting up for a new team in 2024, the Ravens will see Queen at least twice next season after conceding his departure well before free agency.

As was the case with each of the other middle linebackers selected in the first round of the 2020 draft, Patrick Queen did not have his fifth-year option picked up this spring. As a result, his future with the Ravens beyond this season is in doubt.

Baltimore has expressed a desire to retain Queen past the 2023 campaign, and the 24-year-old has reciprocated that sentiment. However, the Ravens have trade deadline acquisition Roquan Smith on the books with a five-year, $100MM contract signed not long after his arrival, giving the team one major financial commitment at the position. A potential Queen replacement was also added via the draft in the form of third-rounder Trenton Simpson.

Those moves have led to the belief that Queen will price himself out of Baltimore if he delivers a strong season in his walk year. The record-setting Smith extension and the Simpson addition could have been a contributing factor to Queen’s offseason decision to scrub the Ravens from his social media accounts (a common sign of frustration with contract situations), but it was instead a lack of progress on extension talks which caused that course of action, as he recently revealed.

“There were talks and then some stuff fell through,” the LSU alum said, via Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic (subscription required). “Obviously, you get upset. I’m probably going to be gone. That’s, at least, what I was thinking in my head. I’m thinking that I’m gone. Everybody reacts out of emotion to certain things.”

As Zrebiec notes, Queen’s mindset has shifted in a more positive direction since talks broke down, and he was a full participant in training camp. Still, it is difficult to imagine the Ravens making a second eight-figure-per-year commitment at the LB spot, something which will be required if Queen builds off his improved play late last year following Smith’s arrival. As a result, the former represents a logical trade candidate, but no consideration has been given to moving on before a potential free agent departure.

“I got to the point where I was like, ‘Look at who is on your team. Look at how they’re treating you. They’re not about to trade you.’ There were never trade talks or anything,” Queen confirmed. “It was always, ‘We believe in you, you’re our guy.’ It just fuels you and it makes you want to play well. Looking at everybody on the team, you have the chance to do something special here. Why not?”

Expectations will be high for Queen and the Ravens this season, and his individual performance will go a long way in determining his free agent value. They will also no doubt have an effect on the team’s willingness and ability to re-engage in negotiations for what could be a very lucrative second contract.

With Lamar Jackson‘s contract situation now in the rearview, attention has increasingly turned to the Ravens’ other offseason priorities. One of those could be working out a long-term deal with linebacker Patrick Queen.

The latter is set to play the final season of his rookie contract in 2023, since the Ravens declined his fifth-year option. That decision fell in line with the ones made by other teams around the league at the LB position, and left Baltimore off the hook for what would have been a $12.72MM price tag for Queen. However, it would not come as a surprise if he were to remain with the team beyond this coming season.

Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta recently made it clear that the team’s intention remains a multi-year deal for Queen despite their decision on his option. Negotiations with the LSU product have a number of complicating factors to consider, including the historic deal fellow linebacker Roquan Smith was signed to not long after his midseason trade acquisition. Making two major financial commitments at the position would be challenging, especially with Jackson’s $51MM-per-year contract now on the books. Some eyebrows were also raised (including by Queen himself) after Baltimore selected his potential successor, Trenton Simpson, in the third round of this year’s draft.

In spite of those developments, Queen is reciprocating the feeling on the team’s part with respect to finalizing a long-term contract. The 23-year-old enjoyed a career year last season, eclipsing 100 tackles for the second time while adding five sacks and a pair of interceptions. His comments on his future suggest he is prepared to play out the 2023 season without any certainty with respect to his financial status.

“I had many talks with many people and different outlooks on it,” Queen said of his situation, via team reporter Clifton Brown. “I just came to the realization that everything is not a bad thing. The front office, [I] talked to them a little bit. They keep me grounded and let me know what it really was and how they feel. At the end of the day, they know that this is the place I want to play. This is the place I want to be. So, however the chips fall, I’m happy with it.”

Another strong season from Queen could set himself up for a big-ticket extension, albeit one which would likely come in at a lower rate than what the 2023 option or a 2024 franchise tag (roughly $20MM for all linebackers) would cost. For now, his attention is aimed at the upcoming season, one in which he and the Ravens will face high expectations, though his financial situation will remain one worth watching.