The Steelers made a top-of-the-market splash in free agency and traded a long-time wide receiver Tuesday, marking a pair of franchise-altering moves on either side of the ball to begin Omar Khan's second offseason as general manager.
Former Ravens linebacker and 2023 All-Pro Patrick Queen will sign a three-year, $41 million contract to move to the other side of the AFC North rivalry. Additionally, the Steelers traded Diontae Johnson and the 240th pick in the upcoming NFL Draft to the Panthers for cornerback Donte Jackson and the 178th pick in the draft.
The Steelers officially announced the trade with the Panthers on Wednesday night.
The contract terms for Queen are incredibly friendly for the Steelers, giving the team more flexibility to maneuver throughout the official free-agency period. Queen's cap hit in 2024 will be only $6,113,333, followed by cap hits of $17,693,333 in 2025 and $17,193,334 in 2026. The 2024 cap hit includes a $2.25 million salary and one-third of his $11.59-million signing bonus ($3.86 million).
The Steelers still have $19.49 million in cap space for 2024 with flexibility to create more. The Steelers are also adding quarterback Russell Wilson on a veteran-minimum deal for one year and $1.2 million, and veteran punter Cameron Johnston is expected to sign a three-year, $9 million deal.
Moving from the Ravens to the Steelers -- across the archrivalry -- resulted in Queen posting this GIF to his Twitter/X account:
— 🦈 (@Patrickqueen_) March 12, 2024
The 6-foot, 230-pound Queen will be 25 years old by the time the 2024 regular season begins, and he will begin his time as a Steeler after enjoying a career season in 2023. He amassed a career-high 133 total tackles and included nine for loss, a career-best six passes defended, an interception, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. He has not missed a game and has started all of the Ravens' games in his four-year career after being drafted with the 28th overall pick in 2020.
The Ravens declined Queen's fifth-year option last offseason and instead extended fellow inside linebacker Roquan Smith. Queen's signing with the Steelers came not long after the Ravens agreed to a reported two-year deal with veteran running back Derrick Henry Tuesday.
The Steelers' inside linebackers room was hampered by injuries last season. Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander were lost for the season at separate parts and Elandon Roberts dealt with minor groin and pectoral issues late in the season. With Alexander hitting free agency, Queen gives the Steelers an even more formidable group of inside linebackers while at the same time injecting some necessary youth into the position.
Meanwhile, a major weapon for the Steelers' offense has been dealt in exchange for more help for the defense.
The 27-year-old Johnson is dealt just before beginning his sixth season with the Steelers after being drafted in the third round in 2019. Johnson signed a two-year, $36.71 million extension in August of 2022 and was set to enter the final year of the deal at a $10 million cap hit. He is due a $3 million roster bonus March 16.
Johnson had one season of more than 100 catches and 1,000 receiving yards, achieving both and earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2021. Johnson did not catch a touchdown in 2022 and caught a career-low 51 passes for 717 yards and five touchdowns while missing four games in 2023. Johnson also drew criticism in November for his effort after not making an attempt to fall on a fumble in a game at the Bengals. The play prior, Johnson couldn't complete a catch in the end zone that otherwise would have been ruled a touchdown.
Johnson will now be a key piece for 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young in Carolina while the Steelers will pursue another option to play alongside George Pickens beginning next season. The Steelers' current options behind Pickens at receiver include Calvin Austin, Denzel Mims, and Miles Boykin.
Johnson took to Instagram to say his goodbye:
via Diontae Johnson's Instagram.
The return for Johnson includes a pick swap that allows for the Steelers to move up 62 slots in the draft. The Steelers now do not own a seventh-round pick and instead will pick twice in the sixth round in April's draft.
The Steelers also receive the 28-year-old cornerback Jackson in the deal. A former second-round pick out of LSU in 2018, Jackson has played in 80 games and has recorded 14 interceptions, but did not log an interception in 2023. His best season was in 2020, when he intercepted three passes and defended 11. Jackson will account for a $10.5 million cap hit in 2024, but Johnson leaves behind $5.8 million of dead cap, so the Steelers will lost $522,500 in cap space with the player swap. However, a team source confirmed with DK Pittsburgh Sports that the Steelers are looking into reworking Jackson's contract to lower his cap hit.
Jackson adds experience to a cornerbacks room that is now without Patrick Peterson following his release last week. The room still needs rebuilt alongside Joey Porter Jr., as Peterson, Levi Wallace, James Pierre and Chandon Sullivan are all unrestricted free agents.
