A few seasons ago, following the devastating career-ending injury to linebacker Ryan Shazier, the Pittsburgh Steelers were in search of just one interior linebacker that brought significant athleticism, speed and overall versatility to the table to try and replace Shazier’s incredibly high ceiling.
Now, ahead of the 2022 season, thanks to some good fortune that’s headed their way due to another team’s decision making, the Steelers now have two such linebackers on the roster in fourth-year linebacker Devin Bush and new free agent signing Myles Jack.
Though Bush is coming off a rather rough (to put it nicely) third season, the combination of Bush and Jack in the middle — when healthy and firing on all cylinders — could strike fear into opposing offenses due to their sideline-to-sideline abilities. Speaking with reporters Wednesday following an OTA session at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side, Bush spoke highly of his new running mate on the interior of the Steelers’ defense, calling Jack a versatile weapon overall that brings explosiveness to the defense.
“I think Myles is a playmaker. I think, when you take away everything, just say Myles Jack, I just think of a playmaker,” Bush said to reporters, according to audio via 93.7 The Fan. “He’s a guy that’s rangy. He’s a guy that, he played running back in college, so I mean, that just tells you a lot about his ability. And I think he’s a guy, if he’s in the right spots and he’s in the right places, he’s able to score touchdowns, have turnovers, picks and force fumbles and sacks.
So he’s a guy I think you can put anywhere. They think he’s a guy that’s versatile. So I think he’s adds a lot of versatility to the defense,” Bush added. “I think he’s an every-down linebacker too. So I think we compliment each other well in that aspect.”
On paper, Bush and Jack do compliment each other well thanks to their versatility and overall athleticism inside. How that plays out on the field, only time and reps will tell. That said, it’s hard to truly find a better fit overall for Bush in free agency than the Steelers did with Jack. No longer does Bush have to do the heavy lifting against the run or in coverage.
Jack, though he is coming off of a rough 2021 season as well in Jacksonville, which was legitimately a train wreck last season top to bottom within the organization, there’s an added level of excitement with his addition, along with the hiring of Brian Flores, who will work closely with Jack and Bush.
With two high-end athletes overall at the inside linebacker positions, the Steelers should be much-improved in that area compared to the 2021 season, as Bush was still working back from his knee injury, physically and mentally. Jack provides a significant upgrade over the likes of Joe Schobert and Robert Spillane.
