Young Steelers Linebacker Has A Perfect Opportunity To Start In 2027

The Pittsburgh Steelers are entering a period of their franchise where the defense is getting to be very old. There are veterans all over the place, including some stars that mean a lot to the city. Within the next couple of years, some of them are going to retire or become free agents that Pittsburgh isn't going to want to retain. That puts some pressure on the young players, especially at some of the most important positions on the field.

One positional group that is going to likely be weak in 2027 is the linebacker room. There isn't an answer about what the future holds for Patrick Queen, as the soon-to-be 27-year-old is set to be a free agent after the 2026 campaign. With all the extension talk between Joey Porter Jr. and the rest of the team, there hasn't been much regarding Queen's market. 

He is quite expensive and some have suggested that the Steelers move on from him by trading him, but that doesn't seem like it's in the cards with his play-calling role to this defense. 

Queen will likely be the anchor to the defense again in 2026, but it could be his last season in Pittsburgh, making the linebacker room even more thin. There's one young player that could take advantage of this opportunity, and that would be Carson Bruener. Despite being a seventh-round pick in 2025, Bruener made an early impact on special teams and he should fill the same role this season, but his progression there may put him in position to be a legitimate linebacker option in 2027.

Steelers insider Christopher Carter spoke about this situation on the North Shore Drive Podcast, talking about the potentially weak linebacker group in 2027 and how Bruener could take advantage of that opportunity with where he is at right now.

"I think Carson Bruener is in a great spot," Carter stated. "He wasn't a special teams ace, but he was a really good seventh-round pick rookie contributing on special teams last year. I honestly think Bruener could be in a position where if the team doesn't keep Patrick Queen and they don't like what Payton Wilson is bringing to the table, and they don't want to keep Malik Harrison after this season, maybe by next year, Bruener is competiting for a starting spot at the linebacker position."

There's a lot of moving parts to this situation. There's not a lot of hope in Queen returning to Pittsburgh considering his age and price tag. They may try to go younger to disperse money elsewhere on the team. Another player they may move on from is Malik Harrison. Right now, he isn't even guaranteed a roster spot, so if he does win the battle this camp, but struggles to really put it all together in games, that would open another spot for Bruener.

This preseason will play a huge role in what the future holds for Bruener. He will get plenty of looks on the field and if he does well, then that will be the much-needed experience to play during the regular season. He should still have a spot on special teams, but this preseason with reps at linebacker will be the ultimate decider down the road.

Pittsburgh needs to have a strong linebacker core moving forward. It's looking like a group that may be weak in 2027, giving a young guy in Bruener a chance to break out and potentially rebuild this core.

Steelers' Bruener Has Bright Future Due To A Weak LB Core

This will be an interesting storyline to follow for the next year. Watching closely on the linebacker room to see if Bruener emerges as the next option. This would be an impressive development from this coaching staff, yet he has earned the opportunity with his impressive special teams play. Keep your eyes peeled on Bruener this preseason.

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