Former Pittsburgh Steelers LB Myles Jack was officially waived from the Philadelphia Eagles reserve/retired list earlier this week in a move that seemed procedural. However, Jack cleared waivers, and after retiring earlier this year, there’s now mutual interest in a return between Pittsburgh and Jack, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Media.
Jack signed a two-year deal with Pittsburgh ahead of the 2022 season, but after dealing with injuries he was released this offseason. But after season-ending injuries to Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander, Jack could find himself back in Pittsburgh as a member of the Steelers practice squad, at least initially. During his lone season with the Black and Gold, he had 104 tackles and three passes defensed in 15 games and 13 starts.
Working alongside Devin Bush and Robert Spillane, it was an inside linebacker corps that lacked splash plays, and health issues plagued the group down the stretch. But with the Steelers now needing depth, they could turn to Jack as a steady veteran presence who knows the system.
He would need to get back into playing shape, so a stint on the practice squad would make sense as he gets re-acclimated to Pittsburgh’s system and life as an NFL player. But with the Steelers badly needing capable bodies at inside linebacker, bringing someone in who has familiarity with the defense at this point in the season would be beneficial.
Jack had retired two weeks after signing with the Philadelphia Eagles during the offseason to become a plumber or electrician.
While he was retired, he also bought the Allen Americans, an ECHL franchise. He became the first African-American majority owner of a professional hockey team with the purchase.
In seven seasons in the NFL, Jack has accumulated 617 tackles and 6.5 sacks, while picking off three passes in 103 games. He spent the first six seasons of his career as a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars, the franchise that drafted him at No. 36 overall in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Nothing will likely happen ahead of Week 11, but it’s something worth watching in the coming days. The Steelers are expected to bring Tariq Carpenter and Mykal Walker off the practice squad for Sunday’s game, but Jack could provide a more permanent solution for the Steelers as they look to make a playoff push in the AFC.
