Marlon Humphrey hilariously details coping with Patrick Queen leaving Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens saw each of their division rivals steal one of their key contributors from last year. While backup quarterback Tyler Huntley joining the Cleveland Browns was surprising and Geno Stone putting on Bengals orange was unusual, Patrick Queen joining the Pittsburgh Steelers was the most unusual move of all.

On Humphrey's Punch Line podcast, the Ravens star tried to talk himself through the emotions he was feeling when Queen, relishing the fact Ravens fans now view him as a "villain" after his defection, decided to join their hated rival.

“I’ll be honest with you, when I saw Patrick Queen to the Steelers, I got mad emotional," Humphrey said. “Literally, when I saw that, I started thinking to myself, ‘How can I line up in front of PQ?...So I really went off the true emotional deep end, and I was like, ‘It doesn’t matter, I'm going to hit him.’ Bro, the Steelers? I can’t believe this."

Humphrey also confirmed the existence of a second team who got involved in the Queen sweepstakes. Somehow, the other team linked to Queen was so bad that Humphrey declared Pittsburgh as the better option. The two most likely options are another AFC contender (read: Chiefs) or a rebuilding team looking for a veteran.

“I was like, ‘Bro, tell me this was the only option...‘You gotta help me get through this," Humphrey added.
"He was like, ‘Bro, it was the best situation,’ and then he told me the other team and I was like, ‘I hear you.'” We may never know who else was after Queen following his breakout season.

Marlon Humphrey explains thoughts after Patrick Queen leaves Baltimore Ravens

Playing next to an All-Pro linebacker in Roquan Smith certainly helped matters, Queen did show a noticeable improvement in coverage and as an open-field tackler. Queen was named a Pro Bowler and Second Team All-Pro performer after the finest season in his four-year Ravens tenure.

The Ravens seem to be banking on internal options to replace Queen next season. Former third-round pick Trenton Simpson seems ready to assume a starting role next to Smith, and Baltimore brought back a mote traditional run-stuffing linebacker in Malik Harrison early on in the free agency frenzy.

That first Ravens-Steelers with Queen in a gold jersey will be an awkward sight, as the number of players at the peak of their powers who made an intradivision move are few and far between.