The Pittsburgh Steelers have been searching for some sort of linebacker depth for over a month now. During this process, they pulled one player out of retirement, as well as signing another player off of a practice squad after he just came out of retirement. Every little bit of talent left in the league's talent pool is needed for the Steelers' linebacker core to function properly. With Elandon Roberts out of the lineup for at least a week, they will have to depend on these veterans coming out of retirement to play with whatever they have left in the tank.
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Steelers' TJ Watt (90) and Myles Jack (51) chasing down Ravens QB Tyler Huntley.
In their Week 16 win against the Cincinnati Bengals, one of those linebackers did step up. Myles Jack, who made his season debut after coming out of retirement, played most of the snaps alongside Mykal Walker after Roberts left with injury. Jack was third on the team in tackles, racking up six of them. He also had a TFL (tackle for loss) as well as a sack.
Steelers Are Glad To Have Jack Back
During his Tomlin Tuesdays press conference, Mike Tomlin was asked about Jack's ability to go from "not thinking about football" to being a key piece of a bettered defense. Tomlin had nothing but praise to give for Jack, claiming that the lack of employment forced him out of the league.
"You (the reporter) hit it on the head when you said, 'Not really thinking about football.' I just don't think that's in his DNA. He's a football lover. He might've been pushing toward retirement, but probably because of lack of opportunity. It didn't take him long to ponder the opportunity when we reached out to him, for example. He's a football lover, so I'd imagine he was waiting for the call."
Tomlin has no doubt that Jack always wanted to be in the NFL, even after he initially retired and went to trade school to take up a career as an electrician. That was proven to be true after he joined the practice squad before their Week 12 matchup against the Bengals. He spent four weeks on the practice squad before having to take over for Roberts as a starter.
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Jack Is Glad To Be Back With The Steelers
Jack himself previously said that "true love" brought him back, as well as the "why not" mindset. He has even admitted that he regrets hanging up his cleats in the first place. Not only is he back on the football field for the Steelers, but he is the one barking orders to the rest of the defense. He wore the green dot once he had to step in, and it's safe to say that he will continue to wear the green dot, at least for a week.
The talent is still there, and the game film proved it. While nearly every player did their job right for most of the game, Jack definitely stood out due to his situation, as well as the way he handled it. He was a problem in the box throughout the game for the opposing offense. He was able to help stop the run game, as well as put some pressure on Jake Browning. Even though Mason Rudolph stole the show, Jack had his own "welcome back" party.
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Myles Jack (51) shoots the gap on 3rd and 1 in a preseason matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.
After the Steelers originally cut Jack to make room for other linebacker signings, he could not find a job until preseason had already started. Two weeks after the Philadelphia Eagles signed him, he retired from the sport. If Tomlin's statement is true, the Eagles likely were planning on cutting Jack to make room for someone else on the roster. He chose to go out on his own terms as opposed to getting cut again, and now, he's back to where he truly wants to be: on a football field.
What do you think about Mike Tomlin's comments on Myles Jack, as well as Jack's performance? Let us know in the comments.
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