It’s been an eventful eight months for veteran linebacker Myles Jack.
The former second-round pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars went from starting 13 games last season for the Pittsburgh Steelers at inside linebacker to being on the street following his release on March 16. Since then, it’s been a winding road for Jack, who finds himself back in Pittsburgh on the practice squad to help shore up the depth chart at the linebacker position for the Black and Gold.
In between his release from the Steelers and his signing to the practice squad on Monday, Jack has been busy. He purchased the Allen Americans of the East Coast Hockey League, a minor league club that is an affiliate of the Ottawa Senators in the NHL.
Jack also had thoughts on pursuing a career as an electrician/plumber after retiring from the Philadelphia Eagles following a couple of weeks in training camp with the NFC powerhouse. He also was working towards becoming a pilot, flying Cessnas in his free time.
Now though, he’s back in football with the Steelers, hoping for another opportunity in the Black and Gold.
Why?
“Why not?” Jack said Wednesday from the locker room of the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side, according to video via the Post-Gazette’s Brian Batko on Twitter. “I have been taking care of myself, playing basketball, eating good. I’ve been focused. When the opportunity came up, I was like, ‘Shoot I feel good, so why not?’ I’m excited to be here.”
Jack has not played a snap in a game since his time with the Eagles in preseason. With the Eagles, Jack played 53 snaps in two games, grading out at a 51.9 overall from Pro Football Focus. That included a 37.0 against the run, a 58.9 as a pass rusher and a 65.2 in coverage. He was charged with just two receptions allowed in the preseason for nine yards.
Now, after being away from the game but taking care of himself in the meantime, Jack is back with the Steelers, giving him a chance to hit the ground running in the Steel City again. He already knows the system and the terminology, so now it’s about getting up to speed physically.
For Jack, he stated he’s around 80% physically as far as football shape goes, but he’s trying to expedite that to get an opportunity to get back on the field.
“I’m gonna try to get it to 90 by tomorrow, 100 by Friday,” Jack said, according to video via Batko. “We’ll see what their plan is for me. But I’m trying to expedite the whole process and get back. It’s not like I’ve been sitting down the whole time. I’ve been working out.”
In his last action with the Steelers, Jack struggled with a groin injury down the stretch, which ultimately caused the Steelers to turn to Robert Spillane over him. In his one season with the Steelers, Jack recorded 104 tackles, three tackles for loss and three passes defensed. He started the season strong but faded down the stretch as he was hampered by the injury. The Steelers ultimately cut him loose in the offseason, saving $8 million.
