As the NFL trade deadline draws closer, Patrick Queen has surfaced again in Cowboys trade chatter, even though the Steelers’ 5-2 start makes moving a core defender look unlikely.
ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler put the odds of a Queen deal at 20 percent and said Dallas has once more checked in on the veteran linebacker’s availability. Fowler also noted that the Cowboys had already poked around on Queen in the spring.
“Rumors of a Queen trade persisted in the spring, with the Cowboys among the teams that checked on his availability,” stated Fowler. “He's also a 2027 free agent. But the Steelers' status as a 5-2 team likely keeps him in Pittsburgh.”
Pittsburgh, which is tied with the Cleveland Browns for the top spot in the AFC North, doesn’t look like a team eager to start selling. Still, the possibility of a deadline move hasn’t disappeared entirely, especially with Queen in the middle of a season that has kept him on other teams’ radar.
Dallas has its own reasons to keep calling. The Cowboys sit a game out of the final NFC Wild Card spot, and their defense has not gotten the boost they were hoping for from first-year defensive coordinator Christian Parker. Adding talent on that side of the ball remains a clear need.
The Cowboys and Steelers have already done plenty of business. Dallas traded for cornerback Joey Porter Jr. before the season, and that followed two other deals between the franchises over the past couple of years, with Pittsburgh sending wide receiver George Pickens and offensive tackle Broderick Jones recently.
If Queen ever becomes available, it would add another chapter to a trade relationship that has already been unusually active. For now, though, the Steelers’ record makes the veteran linebacker more likely to stay put.
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