Steelers Now
UNITY TWP, Pa. — Pittsburgh Steelers rookie outside linebacker Jack Sawyer is chomping at the bit to play in his first preseason game on Saturday night against the Jacksonville jaguars.
“Super excited. It’s going to be pretty cool to put the pads on and get out in the stadium as the first time as a Steeler. We’re all really anxious about it, looking forward to it and preparing as much as we can,” Sawyer said at St. Vincent College on Tuesday.
Sawyer has turned heads at training camp, especially in run defense. He’ll have his first chance to showcase his skill sets on Saturday night in Jacksonville.
Sawyer, who was a fourth-round selection by the Steelers out of Ohio State in the 2025 NFL Draft, acknowledged the big adjustments required from the college level to the pros.
“I think just taking the steps to learn how we do things here. Trying to learn as much as I can from T.J. and those guys. Nick Herbig has been great, Alex Highsmith,” Sawyer said. “They’ve all been super good with us young guys. Helping us elevate our growth and continuing to take steps in the right direction.”
Fortunately for Sawyer, he has the league’s best pass rusher as a teammate.
“It’s awesome. No better guy you want to learn from. He’s been great. Good guy off the field, too,” Sawyer said of T.J. Watt. “To be able to learn from him and see how he attacks every day, whether it’s on the field or off the field in recovery. It’s been great for me already.”
Watt is expected to move around more this year, as teams figured out how to neutralize the All-Pro edge rusher last season when he predominately rushed from the left side.
“Yeah, I think we are all trying to be as versatile as we can be. So playing both sides of the ball so teams can’t game plan for the best player in the league, definitely will help him,” Sawyer said. “And obviously helps us out too to get a chance to rush from a different side and feel the game from both sides. I think it’s beneficial to everybody.”
Sawyer rushed on both sides at Ohio State, but played mostly on the left side in 2024.
“I mean, they are the same,” Sawyer said about doing pass-rush moves on either side. “It’s just working on the opposite side, you know, you’re kind of twisting and turning on the other side of your body. It’s something you have to get used to in practice but it’s been going good.”
Sawyer is one of the six players on Derrick Bell of Steelers Now’s list to watch on Saturday night.
The Steelers’ collection of edge rushers is what dreams are made of from a defensive coordinator’s perspective. With the top three guys in street clothes, Jack Sawyer should see significant playing time throughout the preseason,” Bell wrote. “There’ve been encouraging moments already as a run defender, holding the point of...
