The Pittsburgh Steelers liked what they saw from the National-Champion Ohio State Buckeyes in 2024. They appreciated Jack Sawyer and Will Howard specifically, who they managed to pick up in the fourth and sixth rounds, respectively.
Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger got to know Howard and Sawyer last week when he hosted both of them on his podcast just a couple of days before the Steelers’ rookie minicamp. He was impressed with each of them, to say the least. Regarding Sawyer specifically, Roethlisberger thinks he could become a captain for Pittsburgh in the future.
“That dude [Jack Sawyer] has every potential to be a captain on this team,” Roethlisberger said on his Footbahlin podcast, posted on Tuesday. “… Dude is gonna be good, I think.”
Sawyer comes from a winning culture, something his teammates in Pittsburgh already seem excited about. He was a massive help during their run in the College Football Playoff. Late in their semifinal against Texas, leading by a touchdown with Texas in the red zone, Sawyer forced a strip sack, and then took it all the way to the house to ice the game, and send Ohio State into the National Championship.
The Steelers love players who have proven they can win. With Sawyer, they have that, and everyone saw him make those kinds of plays when it mattered most in the postseason last year. The Steelers’ defense has done it time and time again in the past to help them win, even when the offense is struggling.
Just last year, a rookie in Payton Wilson had similar moments. The Steelers probably don’t beat the Ravens early in the year without Wilson’s clutch, wild interception. They’ve relied on their defense constantly to make plays like that to come away with close wins.
Many of those have been thanks to T.J. Watt, who Roethlisberger thinks can be an excellent mentor to Jack Sawyer.
“And I think it’s gonna be great, because he’s going to get to learn behind some studs,” Roethlisberger said. “Maybe the greatest to ever play the game in T.J. [Watt]. Alex [Highsmith], who’s a high-motor, high-quality, high-character guy that is a really good football player as well… I think it’s awesome to see the lineage, right? The pass of the baton. At some point, T.J. has kind of passed it to Alex. In terms of respect, from T.J. to Alex, I think that’s been earned. And it will be fun to watch the evolution of Jack in that role as well.”
If there’s anything the Steelers now have on the edge, it’s depth. T.J. Watt is heading into the final year of his deal, but it feels safe to say he’ll be a Steeler for years to come. Behind him is Alex Highsmith, who Roethlisberger mentions Watt is passing the baton to.
As for Jack Sawyer, he won’t have the biggest role behind those two in his first season. Still, the Steelers now have a clear pipeline at the position. This isn’t to say that Sawyer is going to be the next T.J. Watt, as those are unrealistic expectations to place on a fourth-round rookie.
However, Jack Sawyer really can’t ask for a better situation to develop in. He seems to have a great head on his shoulders, which is the same conclusion Roethlisberger came to after meeting with him last week. While he hasn’t been in the locker room for a couple of seasons, few people understand the Steelers’ culture better than Big Ben. For him to think Jack Sawyer has a chance to be a captain for the franchise is a high compliment.
