Steelers RB Jaylen Warren's history of trash talk with new teammate Patrick Queen not easy to forget

The Pittsburgh Steelers are having an incredible offseason so far. Most analysts have scored their draft selections an A+. But before the draft, the Steelers made trades and moves in free agency. One of those moves was the signing of linebacker Patrick Queen, who was last with the Baltimore Ravens. 

The Steelers-Ravens rivalry is one of the fiercest in professional football. While the players admit to having a begrudging respect for each other, they hate each other on the field. This isn't surprising, considering how similar the two teams are. They are both known for their defense-heavy, smashmouth style of football. 

We know how it works when a Steelers player leaves Pittsburgh and goes to the Ravens. We saw it happen with Rod Woodson and Alejandro Villanueva. For the most part, fans were furious and felt betrayed by the players in whom they had invested so much energy. Ultimately, when they returned to the fold after retiring, saying they considered themselves Steelers for life, we forgive and try to forget. 

But what happens when it is the other way around, like in the case of Queen? How do we welcome a guy who has been the team's sworn enemy for four years and has hated Pittsburgh just as much as Pittsburgh hated him? Instead of being decked out in purple and black, now he's on the field in black and gold. 

Steelers running back Jaylen Warren recently sat down with his teammate, defensive tackle Cameron Heyward, at the 2024 NFL Draft festivities on Heyward's podcast, Not Just Football. Warren told Heyward that it is weird to shift gears since he's been talking trash to Queen for his whole career. 

Heyward said we can all agree that the Ravens suck, but he wanted to know how Warren felt about "bringing a guy from the dark side over to the good side?" 

"At first, there's always tension—this side and that side (he gestures with his hands), but he's one of ours now. He's part of the Pittsburgh Steelers, so it's time to bring him in and show him love," said Warren.

Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has shared that the hardest hit of his 18-year NFL career came from Ravens linebacker Bart Scott. Roethlisberger was known for his toughness and ability to withstand hits from defenders, so Scott wore that comment as a badge of honor. 

Given the volatility of the two teams' on-field relationship, it isn't surprising that there is a lot of trash-talking. These guys take these games seriously. Queen isn't excused from that now. As he was leaving Baltimore for Pittsburgh, he was subjected to an onslaught of social media messages that ranged from ridicule for leaving, to promises of violence to come. Heyward asked Warren if he and Queen had ever exchanged words since they were across the ball from each other. 

"Yeah, during the game, I don't really initiate the talking, I just play. But once they start doing it, when they start it, then I kind of egg it on. 'Ok, it's that time.' I try to talk with my play. There was one time I was a lead blocker. This was my rookie year, and I tried to come back and crack him. But he hit me, and I flew. I thought he really smacked me. I was like, 'You got that,' and he was like, 'That's not going to work with me.' So from then on, it was like chatter."

Warren said real competitors cannot keep the trash talk in. It just comes out. During that incident in his rookie year, Queen actually pushed Warren back into another player, which is what caused him to fly through the air. He found it funny that Queen still managed to take credit for the hit and act like he was responsible. It is all about getting inside the opponent's head. 

Heyward asked if Warren expected the "chatter" to continue during training camp, and Warren said absolutely. While Queen might be his guy now, it will feel like the old days when they are lined up across from each other during practices. 

Steelers' Jaylen Warren Excited About The Offensive Changes

During that same interview, Heyward asked Warren how he felt about all of the quarterback changes, including the addition of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Warren, who is entering his third season with the Steelers, is a team-first guy. He is the first one to throw a block or help someone up, and while Kenny Pickett was quarterback, Warren supported him. 

That didn't stop him from saying there's a "night and day difference" with the new leadership. Of course, Wilson has far more leadership experience than Pickett ever had. Wilson spent 10 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks and two with the Denver Broncos. He helped the Seahawks get to two Super Bowls and won one. During his time in the NFL, he has been selected to nine Pro Bowls and was the 2020 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year.

What is your favorite Steelers-Ravens rivalry memory?