The Pittsburgh Steelers have made many roster changes and additions this off-season. One of the most exciting of these was the addition of Myles Jack at inside linebacker. He is one of the most high profile free agents that the Steelers have added in quite some time.
Jack is a Pro Bowl caliber player. He hasn’t been voted to one, but this is largely due to the competitiveness to be voted in at that spot, as well as him playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars for his whole career to this point. A team that only bolstered a winning record and playoff appearance once in his six seasons with them. They did make the most of that one year however, making it all the way to the AFC Championship game and knocking off the Steelers to get there. Jack was part of the “Sacksonville” defense that helped get them there, and was an integral piece at that.
PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 14: Myles Jack #44 of the Jacksonville Jaguars intercepts a pass intended for Vance McDonald #89 of the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first half of the AFC Divisional Playoff game at Heinz Field on January 14, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Who is Myles Jack?
Jack brings athleticism, splash play ability, and sound tackling to a defense that thrives on all three. He has posted 100 plus tackles in three of his last four seasons, and posted under 90 only twice, once when he was a rookie and the other due to injury. He is only 26 years old and gets to join a defense with the potential to be a top 5 unit, and also gets to pair up with fellow linebacker Devin Bush, as well as new defensive assistant and linebackers coach, Brian Flores.
Jack went on 93.7 The Fan, and said that one of the biggest attractions of coming to the Steelers was getting to be coached up by Flores. This and the winning culture were what drew him here.
On the other side of the coin, Bush is coming off a year where he faced a lot of scrutiny in his return from a torn ACL. Many feel he underperformed in a season where he appeared in and started 14 games. He posted 70 total tackles and 2 sacks, as well as a forced fumble. This is a far cry from his rookie year in which he posted 109 tackles, and finished third in defensive rookie of the year voting.
Seeing both of these, and the year he was having in 2020 when he was lost for the season after just five games, I think there’s a huge chance Bush can bounce back big time. As many know, the season coming back from injury can always be a tricky one. You spend more time rehabbing than actually training for football itself. I think Bush may have suffered from that, and his play was slow to start the year. He ended the year on a stronger note, tallying 17 total tackles in his last 3 regular season appearances, and adding an interception in the Steelers’ Wild Card playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Bush and Jack have the chance to bring some glory back to the inside linebacker position. The last time the team had two 100 plus total tackle inside linebackers was 2012, when Lawrence Timmons and Larry Foote recorded 106 and 113 total tackles, respectively. For reference, 2 out of the 3 times the Steelers last made the Super Bowl, they had 2 100 plus tackle inside backers. Both of those years they were ranked third and first in rush defense, 2005 and 2010 respectively.
Bush and Jack certainly feel like they have the ability to get the Steelers back to this pedigree. They both have the speed and athleticism that is more required in today’s game, but the talent and instincts to bring the team back to the type of standard that is expected from its inside line backers. They are already starting to get a feel for each other at OTA’s:
Devin Bush and Myles Jack get some work together. #Steelers pic.twitter.com/YH9lsebe8m
— Jeff Hathhorn (@jhathhorn) May 25, 2022
It is early, but based on talent, this is one of the most potent inside linebacker duos the team has had in quite some time. Time will tell, but in a time where the team finished dead last in rush defense, the potential for these two has to have the team and fans excited about potentially getting back to the standard of rush defense that is expected of the black and gold.
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