Fresh off his first career Pro Bowl appearance, former Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Patrick Queen has agreed to a three-year contract to remain in the AFC North and play with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

ESPN and NFL Network reported the signing, and a league source confirmed it to TribLive.

Queen, 24, agreed to a deal worth a reported $41 million. That will make Queen the highest-paid outside free agent in Steelers history.

The Ravens’ first-round draft pick in 2020, Queen became a free agent when Baltimore didn’t exercise his fifth-year option last year.

The addition of Queen addresses a need in the middle of the Steelers defense. They added three players in free agency last year only to lose two — Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander — to season-ending injuries.

Holcomb remains under contract, but it has not been determined whether he will be ready to return for training camp. Elandon Roberts, another free agent signee last offseason, is back for a second season with the Steelers.

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The Steelers have been looking for a versatile and dependable inside linebacker since Ryan Shazier’s career-ending spinal cord injury in December 2017. They have cycled through a collection of veterans and young players — most notably former first-round pick Devin Bush — without much success. The list of players who have manned the position includes Jon Bostic, Avery Williamson, Mark Barron, Joe Schobert and Myles Jack (twice).

The Steelers completed a makeover of the position last year when they replaced Bush, Jack and Robert Spillane with Roberts, Holcomb and Alexander.

Durability hasn’t been an issue with Queen, who started every game for the Ravens over the past four seasons.

Queen emerged as one of the NFL’s top linebackers in 2023 when he made the Pro Bowl. He had one interception, one forced fumble, six fumble recoveries and 133 tackles, including 84 solo and nine for a loss. He has 13 1/2 sacks in four NFL seasons.

According to NextGen stats, Queen led all linebackers with 20 quick pressures last season despite blitzing at just the 23rd-highest rate among linebackers who played a minimum of 500 snaps.

Before a matchup between the Ravens and Steelers in 2023, Queen relayed a conversation he had with Steelers coach Mike Tomlin before a game in 2020.

“When I was on their sideline my rookie year, Mike Tomlin was looking at me, yelling at me, ‘You’re not a Raven. You’re not a Raven. You’re not supposed to be there. You’re not one of them.’ ” Queen said. “So, every time I play them there’s something personal.”

At the time, Queen took it as a sign of disrespect from Tomlin, and it took three seasons before he was able to score a win against the Steelers. He finished his Ravens career with a 1-7 record against the Steelers.

Now, he will be on the other sideline.

Queen is the third player the Steelers have agreed to terms with on a free-agent contract during the legal tampering period. The others are quarterback Russell Wilson, who accepted a one-year offer for the NFL veteran minimum of $1.21 million, and punter Cameron Johnston on a three-year, $9 million deal.

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