Myles Jack is excited about playing behind Tyson Alualu again, can’t wait to line up next to Devin Bush and is glad, in retrospect, how everything turned out after being unexpectedly dumped by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Steelers feel the same way. They didn’t expect to find an inside linebacker with Jack’s pedigree in free agency. And, just like that, they did.
All it took was a phone call from coach Mike Tomlin.
“Once I got on the phone with coach Tomlin, the first thing he said was, ‘We’re trying to win a championship and we need that on defense,’” Jack said. “Once he said that, it was a no-brainer. That’s what I’m here to do.”
Jack, 26, became available Tuesday when the Jaguars released him in a salary cap move after they signed six free agents in a wild spending spree, saving $8.35 million. Soon as that happened, the Steelers went on the move and quickly signed the six-year veteran to a two-year, $16 million contract one day later. It was nothing either side really anticipated being a possibility.
“I was not expecting it,” Jack said. “That’s the life of this business. You’re never safe. But I accepted it. I’m excited, because if it got me here, it was all worth it. It was a bigger plan in the making.”
The addition of Jack allowed the Steelers to release veteran Joe Schobert, clearing $7.83 million in salary cap space. It also gave them renewed hope they can have the type of inside tandem they desire by having a pair of athletic linebackers such as Bush and Jack.
“I feel like in my career, at this point, I just want to win games,” Jack said. “I want to be part of something. I want to go home on Sunday night and be happy and wake up on Monday morning and be happy. “
Jack didn’t have a lot of that in Jacksonville, where he started 82 of 88 games. In his six years since coming out early from UCLA, the Jaguars were a combined 28-69. The only winning season was 2017, when the Jaguars finished 10-6 and upset the Steelers, 45-42, in a divisional round playoff game at Heinz Field. Jack contributed to the victory with an interception of Ben Roethlisberger in the first quarter that led to a Jaguars touchdown and a 14-0 lead.
“The main thing I remember about the game was the atmosphere, the fans and the energy,” Jack said. “It was almost something out of a movie, coming up here and playing and seeing all those towels going and everything. The fans were so into it. You could see how the Steelers players were feeding off the fans’ energy. It’s a real thing.”
Jack should almost feel at home in the Steelers defense. He will line up behind Alualu, who was the Jaguars’ nose tackle during his rookie season in Jacksonville.
And he said he can’t wait to play alongside Bush, who had a subpar season in 2021 coming off ACL surgery. He said he planned to call Bush soon as he was done meeting with members of the Steelers media.
“I’m very excited to get to work with him,” Jack said. “I honestly believe he’s a hell of a player, watching him come out of college and do his thing. It’s remarkable — he came off an ACL injury which is very tough to do. I can’t wait to collaborate with him and race him to the ball and see who can get to the ball first. I’m a big fan of his work.”
More than anything, Jack is excited to leave a franchise that has had just two winning seasons in 15 years and go to a team that hasn’t had a losing season in 15 years.
“I’m one of those people that loves football; I just love the game,” Jack said. “When you lose so many games, it can kind of steal that spirit. I’m excited to be back here. I’m excited to be uncomfortable again, be in a new city where I have to prove myself to the fans. I’m just eager to get to work. I know I’ll be inspired.”
Gerry Dulac: gdulac@post-gazette.com and Twitter @gerrydulac.
First Published: March 18, 2022, 11:48 a.m.