Call them the unretired bunch. Or at least duo. Sitting on their couches at the start of the season, Myles Jack and Blake Martinez are now in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ inside linebacker room preparing to play the Cincinnati Bengals this weekend. After the Steelers lost Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander for the season, they’re turning to a new-look inside linebacker unit to get them through the next seven games. Mykal Walker got the nod in last Sunday’s loss to the Cleveland Browns. Now, Jack and Martinez have been added to bolster depth. And for DC Teryl Austin, they bring experience to the room.
Speaking to reporters Thursday, Austin described the impact both provide while hinting at their role.
“There you go, veteran presence,” he said via a team-provided transcript when asked if that’s what the two offer. “That’s exactly what they add. We know those guys. They’re high-volume tacklers. If we have — knock on wood –another catastrophic injury, we’ll have a veteran guy that we know can go in there and play and give us some depth.”
Of the pair, Jack is more familiar with the Steelers. Signed to a two-year deal last offseason, he played in 15 games for Pittsburgh in 2022, leading the team with over 100 tackles. But injuries sapped him of his athleticism, and searching for more playmaking, the front office overhauled the position. Gone were Jack, Devin Bush, and Robert Spillane. In were Holcomb, Alexander, and Elandon Roberts. That unit played well throughout the year until Holcomb went with a season-ending knee injury in Week Nine. The following week, Alexander tore his Achilles. It left Roberts as the only man of their top-three still standing. And left the Steelers searching for help.
Jack reenlisted, removed from the Philadelphia Eagles Reserve/Retired list after spending two weeks with them in camp. He got out of the pilot’s chair and into the Steelers’ linebacker room. Martinez signed with the Carolina Panthers’ practice squad earlier this month before Pittsburgh plucked him this week. Combined, the two have appeared in nearly 200 NFL games and racked up more than 1,300 tackles.
Austin’s phrasing of their role is interesting. Saying if there’s another injury, they’ll have veteran players to turn to. It implies Martinez won’t immediately see playing time and Walker will keep his spot as the team’s starting linebacker opposite Roberts, who assumed an every-down role last weekend. Jack begins his second Steelers stint on the practice squad, getting back into football shape. If he’s going to play, it figures to be on defense, but he may not see the field unless another injury forces the Steelers’ hand.
During the interview, Austin praised Walker’s football intelligence and ability to pick up Pittsburgh’s playbook. Signed just weeks ago, he could be given a longer look, starting with Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
