Ravens LB Patrick Queen's Future in Baltimore Remains Uncertain

The Baltimore Ravens declined the fifth-year option on linebacker Patrick Queen, but that doesn't mean the team doesn't want him back.

Out of the frying pan into the fire? The Baltimore Ravens find themselves somewhat in that position after finally ending the Lamar Jackson imbroglio by signing him to a five-year deal.

And now, a defensive standout, linebacker Patrick Queen finds himself in a similar situation after the club declined his fifth-year option. 

That might lead some to think the Ravens don't have Queen in their long-term plans. But that just sounds ridiculous after selecting him 28th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Baltimore drafted Trenton Simpson in the third round last month and signed Roquan Smith to a five-year, $100 million contract this past January. Queen, himself seems a little confused too, as he tweeted "Sheesh" after the Ravens selected Simpson.

General manager Eric DeCosta attempted to clear some of this up recently.

“People want to jump to conclusions [and say], ‘Oh [Simpson] is going to replace Patrick,'” DeCosta said on the team website’s “The Lounge” podcast. “I can tell you this. Patrick Queen had a hell of a year last year. Patrick Queen is a very talented, in my mind, Pro Bowl-type linebacker. He’s going to have a great year this year.

“We want Patrick Queen on this team; we want to keep him on this team. We will, at some point, try to get him signed, hopefully, to an extension if we can.”

Queen now enters the final year of his contract since the team declined the fifth-year option which would've paid him $12.7 million in 2024.

“The fifth-year option was something that was more based on business and the salary-cap economics than actually Patrick Queen and his performance and what he does as a player,” DeCosta said. “He’s a difference-maker for us. When we had Patrick Queen and Roquan Smith last year over the last half of the season, we had a chance to see how dominant our defense could be.”

Queen set career highs in tackles (117), sacks (five), interceptions (two) and passes defended (six) in 2022.

DeCosta doesn't think they can have too many impactful linebackers.

“The appealing thing is getting Trenton in here with everything he can do as a blitzer, on third downs, off the edge, his special teams ability,” DeCosta said. “It’s really just us adding another fast, physical, smart linebacker to the mix and giving us a chance on defense to be the best that we can be.”

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