A three-hour drive through southern Louisiana on the Gulf Coast separated the towns in which Elandon Roberts and Patrick Queen were born and raised.

Nowadays, it’s three locker stalls between the two at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. And though they never personally were acquainted until this spring, Roberts and Queen seemingly have become inseparable while at the Pittsburgh Steelers headquarters.

“When we’re in (position) meetings or whenever we are here, ‘P-Q’ and ‘E-Rob,’ they always just be talking ‘ball,’ ” rookie Steelers teammate Payton Wilson recently observed.

Relative newcomers to a franchise long identified for its stout defense, Queen and Roberts are at the literal center of a unit entrusted with leading the Steelers back to what they hope is the upper echelon of the NFL.

They might not be the best players on the defense (though Queen is a reigning second-team AP All-Pro). But as the starting inside linebackers, Queen and Roberts are at the heart of the defense and most often will be the ones ending plays by tackling opponents.

And in their role in this new partnership, Queen and Roberts have become fast friends.

“It’s crazy,” Queen said early during training camp, “it’s been like we’ve been knowing each other for years now.”

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) July 28, 2024

Roberts is 5½ years older than Queen — the former won a Super Bowl ring with the Patriots while the latter was still in high school — a difference that qualifies as something of a generational gap in a league in which the average career doesn’t last even that long.

But Port Arthur, Texas, native Roberts quickly bonded with Ventress, La.-born Queen.

“With our upbringing, it was kind of easy to jell,” Roberts said. “Just with our mindsets and how we operate and how we spend time outside the facilities and things like that, it was kind of familiar.

“He likes to fish; I know how to fish. But little chill time away from football, I tend to go to the country, and it’s not too different from him and fishing. We kind of relate in ways like that.

“But Queen, he’s a great person; not just a good football player but great people. Me, I have always been drawn to people with great personality, great integrity as a person, great leadership skills. And he values all that, so I think that’s what really meshes us together in a good way.”

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) July 24, 2024

Their styles mesh on the field, too. The 30-year-old Roberts (6-foot-1, 238 pounds) has a reputation as a premier run-stopper. Queen, particularly last season, graded out as one of the NFL’s better off-ball linebackers in coverage.

Judging by training camp reps, the Steelers intend on leaning on Queen to play (most) every down, with Roberts on the field in early-down and obvious run situations, with Wilson rotating in at times in subpackage play.

That’s not an unfamiliar role with the Steelers for Roberts, who joined the team in March 2023 by way of a two-year, $7 million contract. But while Roberts was mostly a first- and second-down player over the first half of last season, by the midway point, Roberts’ running mates at ILB (Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander) suffered season-ending injuries. That pushed Roberts into an every-down role, one it would be fair to say he handled better than might have been expected.

Roberts also has served as captain of two NFL teams (New England and the Miami Dolphins) — and he has an outgoing personality, to boot.

None of that, though, prevented him from embracing Queen as the new face of the middle of the Steelers defense — a role befitting the three-year, $41 million free-agent contract he signed in March.

“We are both alpha males,” Roberts said, “but … he’s our quarterback of the defense. That don’t mean that I minimize my role or that I can’t be the ‘Big General’. I told PQ, ‘Look man, when we’re out there, it’s your show. I am gonna have your back 100%. I am gonna communicate with you — we are gonna work together. But at the end of the day, it’s your show and I am right behind you and help you with whatever is needed.’ And that’s how we accomplish goals. There’s no egos in our room.

“As soon as PQ got brought on, I was excited. The end of last year I was the ‘green dot’ (making the calls), but that doesn’t mean anything to me — winning means something. That’s why I think we mesh so well together — but that don’t mean I’m minimized. I am still ‘Big General.’ I am not Robin (to Queen’s Batman). I am ‘Big General’ — but he’s the quarterback of this defense.”

Roberts’ brash-sounding talk belies his approachable demeanor — but not on the field. During practices and games, Roberts loves to chatter with both teammates and opposing players.

Queen does, too. It’s another manner by which the partnership at inside linebacker came so naturally and developed so quickly into a friendship that’s flourished.

“He’s cool,” Queen said of Roberts. “He’s really the same person as me. We just love talking trash to people and get after it. We just communicate so well with everything we see on the field.

“When you’ve got us two in there doing that, I don’t think anyone can (beat) us.”

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