Today’s free agent analysis for 2024 focuses on Pittsburgh Steelers ILB Myles Jack. Like Eric Rowe, Jack is not a compensatory free agent for the Steelers because he ended the season on the practice squad. He has been a street free agent since the expiration of his practice squad contract last month. But the veteran played a considerable role for the team down the stretch due to injuries. The Steelers, and any other team, can sign him at any time.
Player: Myles Jack
Position: Inside Linebacker
Experience: 7 Years
Free Agent Status: Street Free Agent
2023 Salary Cap Hit: $289,800
2023 Season Breakdown:
The Steelers signed Jack to a two-year, $16 million contract in March 2022. They released him a year later to save themselves the back half of that deal. He struggled to find a home, indeed, remaining unsigned until Aug. 6. After joining the Philadelphia Eagles, he retired just two weeks later.
By then he already commenced plans as the majority owner of a minor league hockey franchise along with his mother. He continues to do that, but his mother took over most of the operations once the Steelers called Jack to gauge his interest in playing.
The situation only arose because they lost multiple key players at inside linebacker to injury. Cole Holcomb suffered a season-ending injury one week, and the very next week Kwon Alexander followed.
But even though Jack signed with the Steelers’ practice squad on Nov. 20, he didn’t play until just before Christmas. He remained on the practice squad the entire time, but the Steelers elevated him for each game.
He technically only started one of the final three games of the regular season but played most of the snaps. In total, he logged 131 snaps in the final three games with 17 tackles and a sack. He played a lesser role in the postseason game, just 39 percent of the snaps, 26 in all, but still managed four tackles.
Free Agency Outlook:
The first question we have to start with is the most important. Does Myles Jack even want to play football again? He is supposedly continuing to train just in case, as he had when he retired. But what would make him play again? At this point it’s hard to imagine anybody signing him while guaranteeing him any kind of role—or money.
He still has talent, and he showed in the final four games last season that he can still play. He makes the most sense as depth, however, and I don’t think he wants to continue to play as a reserve. The reality is he has other business ventures in mind and he’s already made his money in professional football.
On the off chance that he does want to continue playing, however, he probably commands only a Veteran Salary Benefit contract. Maybe he only signs with a signing bonus just so he’s not wasting his time. Given the Steelers’ injuries at the position, kicking his tires again may not be an awful idea. But so far nobody is kicking his tires.
