Steelers A to Z: Rookie Carson Bruener primed to take over role as special teamer, reserve ILB

Editor’s note: From now until reporting day to training camp at Saint Vincent College, TribLive is running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, looking at each player and assessing his outlook for the 2025 season. The breakdown will run in alphabetical order with at least two players each day between June 12 and July 23. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.

ILB CARSON BRUENER

Experience/age: Rookie, 24

Contract status: $874,235 cap hit in 2025, signed through 2028

The past: Bruener was born between the sixth and seventh NFL seasons of former Steelers tight end Mark Bruener, his father. The team’s 2005 first-round pick, Mark and Carson watched the draft from the same spot in the same family house in coastal Washington state 30 years apart. The Steelers selected the younger Bruener with their first of two seventh-round picks at No. 226 overall. The elder Bruener is a scout with the team.

Carson Bruener became a starter on defense as a senior for the University of Washington, leading the team in tackles and adding three interceptions en route to being a third-team all-Big Ten honoree. But over his three seasons prior to starting on defense, Bruener was a standout on special teams and found a way to make plays as a “reserve” defensively — he had 86 tackles during Washington’s run to the College Football Playoff national championship game in 2023-24.

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Carson Bruener was everywhere in @UW_Football's win over USC ????#B1GFootball pic.twitter.com/29v6waIWzZ

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 3, 2024

2025 outlook: Named all-conference by Pro Football Network in 2022 as a special teamer, that is likely where the Steelers envision Bruener making his biggest impact — certainly, initially so. Bruener (6-1, 227) projects as a “core” special teamer capable of contributing on all kickoff and punt return and coverage teams.

With Payton Wilson likely ascending to a more significant role on the defense, the Steelers surely will want to give some of the 301 special-teams snaps he played last season to other players. Core special-teamer Tyler Matakevich also was not re-signed, and it is likely that Bruener could step into his role over a long term of several seasons. With the caveat that the health of veteran Cole Holcomb is a wild card, four-year veteran Mark Robinson is probably the only serious competition Bruener needs to stave off to earn the No. 5 ILB spot behind starters Wilson and Patrick Queen and reserves Holcomb and newcomer Malik Harrison.