In between retiring in August and re-signing with the Steelers Nov. 20, Myles Jack kept busy.
After all, the 28-year-old was working on business ventures after hanging up his cleats when the preseason ended. He purchased a majority stake in the ECHL's Allen Americans and began to work on obtaining his pilot's license as part of enjoying the retired life. He was so far along his pilot program that had already guided a Cessna 172 Skyhawk plane, he took a solo trip, and he was preparing to pilot a cross-country flight to conclude his training and earn his license.
Then, the Steelers called. They needed Jack to help reinforce an inside linebackers room that had lost Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander for the season and went from being a luxury to becoming one of the most troubled positions on the field from a personnel perspective.
In other words, Jack is about to be even busier.
With Elandon Roberts out for Sunday's game at the Seahawks, Teryl Austin is set to turn to his leading tackler from 2022 in a major way. This "snake-bit" group, as Mike Tomlin called it Saturday, took off with Jack leading the charge against the Bengals.
It needs an encore performance from him for at least one more week.
"We went into (Saturday) with different plans and then 'E' went down, and so he had to play more snaps than we thought he would," Austin said Thursday at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. "We've got a real good familiarity with Myles. He started a lot of games for us last year, so I know what he's about and the type of football player he is. Just (a) lack of reps and practice time for him, but he did well. There's some things, obviously, he can work on, but we expect him to be better this week -- now that he had a week of game reps under his belt -- than he was last week."
Jack was unavailable to speak before and after Thursday's practice on the South Side.
Roberts sustained a groin injury Dec. 3 against the Cardinals, and Austin had to pivot to Mykal Walker and Mark Robinson for reinforcements in that game. Blake Martinez was then elevated and played in the following Thursday's game against the Patriots Dec. 7.
Should Jack start Sunday at Seattle, he would become the seventh inside linebacker to start a game for the Steelers this season.
When Roberts left Saturday's game with a pectoral injury -- the same injury that will keep him sidelined for at least Sunday's game -- Jack commanded the green dot for Austin's defense. He is the fifth linebacker to sport the green dot this season, joining Holcomb, Alexander, Roberts, and Walker. While Austin didn't specifically say whether Jack would wear the green dot Sunday, he smiled while making a reference of Jack wearing it Saturday.
Jack's savvy within the defense paid off, as it helped hold the Bengals to 11 points and it helped the Steelers' defense to three takeaways.
"It's been great to see Myles step in for us because he's another one that jumped on this moving train," Patrick Peterson said. "But the plus for him (is) he's been in this system. He understands the communication, how to line guys up, and different checks and things like that. Myles definitely has an upper hand on most guys who are jumping on the moving train. He stepped in and played great. Got a couple key quarterback pressures, a tackle for loss if I'm not mistaken, so he stepped in and played huge for us and we're going to need that these last two weeks, as well."
Jack racked up six total tackles, one for loss, and two quarterback hits in his first regular-season game since the end of last season. He added this sack of Jake Browning in the fourth quarter to put the icing on a solid first day back at the office:
"Man, I think he did a great job," Roberts said of Jack. "I think he communicated well, led the group well, stuff like that. I thought they played great as a collective. I think Mykal did a great job of communicating with him when he was in, same with Mark Rob. I think they played great as a collective."
After Saturday's game, Jack noted the Steelers laid a plan out to him to get back into "football" shape and put him on a trajectory for him to get back onto the field.
The timeline in between Jack signing and his elevation for Saturday's game against the Bengals came down to just that. He remained in shape in retirement by playing pick-up basketball and working out regularly.
But, being in regular shape and being in "football" shape are two different things.
"I think for Myles it probably was more physical, getting back into football shape," Austin said. "He knows our play book. Obviously we have some changes every year, but the core stuff that you do is going to remain steady."
Jack seized an opportunity, and it will have to pay off again Sunday if the Steelers want to keep their postseason hopes afloat.
The Seahawks don't excel at running the football. Their 1,354 total yards on the ground are fourth-worst in the league, and their 80 first downs gained via the run are the eighth-lowest in the league. Kenneth Walker III has dealt with oblique and shoulder injuries and has missed two games this season. Zach Charbonnet, his backup, hasn't cleared 60 rushing yards in a game this season.
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