Ravens GM Praises LB Patrick Queen Amid Contract Questions

Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta had great things to say about linebacker Patrick Queen.

Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta had nothing but good things to say when asked about linebacker Patrick Queen amid questions surrounding his contract.

"Oh man, Patrick's a gem," DeCosta said. "I think we've seen in the NFL now that a lot of teams are dealing with it. These players that are holding in or they're not showing up or they're holding out or they're unhappy or they're spouting out publicly. Patrick's just a guy that shows up to work every single day, he's a very very talented player, very very selfless, beloved by his teammates. He's a leader and we expect him to have a great season."

Queen was drafted with the No. 28 overall pick in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He has spent three seasons with the Ravens, accumulating 321 tackles, 10.0 sacks and 28 tackles for loss. 

On May 1, Baltimore declined Queen's fifth-year option making him a free agent after the 2023 season. He was originally going to be owed $12.7 million in 2024 if the Ravens had picked up his option. A few days before that, they drafted linebacker Trenton Simpson out of Clemson in the third round, much to the dismay of Queen, who tweeted 'Sheesh!" after the pick was made.

Baltimore also traded for star linebacker Roquan Smith from the Chicago Bears the year prior while Queen was underperforming.

The Ravens will open their season at home against the Houston Texans on Sept. 10 at 1 p.m. ET.