Steelers Now
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin gave rookie outside linebacker Jack Sawyer high praise for his interception in Sunday’s win over the Indianapolis Colts.
“Man, the sun is always shining on Jack Sawyer,” Tomlin said with a smile after the game. “He is a five star.”
Tomlin also congratulated Sawyer for his first career turnover during the game.
“That’s why I go to Columbus, Ohio!” Tomlin said to Sawyer, via the Steelers’ Sights & Sounds video.
"That's why I go to Columbus, Ohio!" @Visa
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) November 5, 2025
Late in the third quarter, linebacker Payton Wilson deflected Daniel Jones’ pass and the ball landed in the Ohio State alum’s hands.
Seven plays later, Jaylen Warren rushed for a 2-yard touchdown to give the Steelers a 24-7 lead with 14:16 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Sawyer’s interception was the fourth turnover by the Steelers’ defense on the afternoon. In total, the Steelers have scored 24 points off the turnovers (three touchdowns and one field goal). The 24 points scored off turnovers are the most by the Steelers since Week 9 of 2007 against the Baltimore Ravens (28).
Payton Wilson tips it and rookie Jack Sawyer catches it for a Steelers INT!
INDvsPIT on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/lS0cULfQgU
— NFL (@NFL) November 2, 2025
Sawyer had six tackles (4 solo), two tackles for loss and one sack against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2. He also recorded his first sack in that game.
Sawyer’s strong performance early in the season caught the attention of head coach Mike Tomlin.
“I thought it was a significant improvement in the quality of his play on defense and in [special] teams,” Tomlin said during his weekly press conference following the Seattle game. “But I think that’s a reasonable expectation for a lot of young people. He had been in stadium. I thought he played with more emotion, I thought he was more vocal, I thought he was more productive, probably because of the comfort.
“I’m excited about the extended opportunities that he’s gonna continue to get, particularly with [Alex] Highsmith being out now. Oftentimes, one man’s misfortune is another man’s opportunity. He’s gotten some opportunity because of [Nick] Hebig’s lack of availability and now that Herbig’s back, he’ll continue to get some more opportunities because of Highsmith’s lack of availability.”
Sawyer backed up his head coach’s comments with his first career takeaway on Sunday. Sawyer has certainly progressed well in his rookie campaign.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Jack Sawyer Receives Ringing Endorsement from Mike Tomlin
