There’s been plenty of talk about the Pittsburgh Steelers’ outside linebacker group over the past week. Nick Herbig got his extension, but the Steelers still have T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith in tow. Yet, to Charlie Batch, one name who’s not getting enough recognition going into his second year is Jack Sawyer.
“People are forgetting about Jack Sawyer. And that guy, going from year one to year two, they know, I mean, you have a nice four-man rotation, based off last year’s draft pick in Jack Sawyer, and what he did. The game that he showed up in Detroit, when T.J. Watt was out, that guy played lights out. And that let the organization know, we do have a starter in T.J., and also a starter in waiting,” Batch said this week on his Snap Count podcast. “Don’t forget about Jack Sawyer. Because that guy can flat-out play.”
Behind those three, Sawyer obviously didn’t have a huge role in his rookie season. But there certainly were some bright moments. His first and only sack came in Week 2 against Seattle, but he had flashes throughout the year. Sawyer had two interceptions, including one on a deflection in Week 8, and another late in the season against Cleveland.
Later in the year, Jack Sawyer got some extended run as Watt sat out with a lung issue. Batch specifically mentions the win over Detroit in Week 16, and Sawyer was impressive. He was on the field for 66 snaps, significantly more than any other game on the year. Sawyer rewarded that confidence with five tackles, including one for a loss. He also got in the backfield with two quarterback hits. He was part of a defense that did surprisingly well to suffocate Detroit’s offense for most of the game.
It was always going to be a long road to playing time for Sawyer in year one. That doesn’t appear likely to change in year two. Watt and Highsmith are still on the roster, and reports suggest they won’t be going anywhere, at least for the 2026 season. And after Herbig’s extension, he should be in line for a larger role as well.
However, the time to develop can’t hurt Jack Sawyer. And as a fourth-round pick, he showed as much as the Steelers might have hoped, given his defensive snap share of just 25 percent. But at some point, Pittsburgh is probably going to move on from the likes of Watt or Highsmith. When that happens, Batch thinks Sawyer will be ready to step into a starting role.
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