The Steelers signed Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen in free agency. Apparently they didn’t do this by making Queen the best financial offer.
In a recent appearance with Steelers_DBQueen said he turned down more money elsewhere to sign with the Steelers.
“Out of all 15 teams I talked to, it came down to five in the end,” Queen said, via NFL.com. “There were five teams in the mix. Some of them were offering around $17 [million per year]. After that, it was like I had a chance to win or get paid. For me, the difference was $4 or $5 million. I look at it as I’ve never been on a losing team before, and I also don’t want to be part of anything that’s being rebuilt because I’m trying to win right now. . . . Really, I’m just trying to win now, get it done and get paid later.”
Queen signed a three-year, $41 million contract with the Steelers. The first year, worth $13.84 million, is fully guaranteed at signing.
The deal has no guarantees beyond 2024. Instead, there is an early roster bonus in 2025 ($6.67 million) and 2026 ($2.5 million) to force the Steelers to make a decision on whether to extend the deal. relationship.
So it’s basically a one-year deal with a team option for 2025 and then 2026. Which means, frankly, a one-year deal would have been better. Especially if the Steelers win the Super Bowl this year. So Queen could have been paid as early as next year.
