Linebacker Myles Jack is in his second stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers. And he’ll be wearing a new number out on the field. Though he wore No. 51 for the team last season, that jersey is now occupied by rookie outside linebacker Nick Herbig.
Instead, Jack will wear No. 16 for the Steelers, according to an updated roster on the team website. An interesting choice, a linebacker wearing 16, but the recent expansion of jersey numbers for positions now offers that kind of flexibility. Prior to Pittsburgh, he wore No. 44 for his six seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars. A two-way player at UCLA, he sported No. 30 for the Bruins, rushing for 11 touchdowns while recording nearly 200 career tackles.
Jack was officially signed to the Steelers’ practice squad Monday. He appeared in 15 games for Pittsburgh last season, recording over 100 tackles, but his play faded down the stretch due to nagging injuries. The team released him in March and he spent several months as a free agent before latching on with the Philadelphia Eagles in August. After two weeks with the team, he announced his retirement and seemingly moved on with life’s work, including becoming the majority owner of the Allen Americans hockey team.
Once Jack gets back in football shape, he can be elevated from the practice squad to the team’s Active/Inactive roster and suit up and play on gamedays.
The Steelers’ other signing on Monday was veteran S Eric Rowe. He will wear No. 25 for the team. The last Steeler to wear it was DB Desmond King, released earlier this season, and who signed back with the Houston Texans today. Rowe serves as safety depth while the team is without Minkah Fitzpatrick, Keanu Neal, and Elijah Riley. Neal landed on IR Saturday while Riley was placed there today.
