Steelers Now
UNITY TWP., Pa. — Pittsburgh Steelers rookie outside linebacker Jack Sawyer is chomping at the bit to play in his first preaseason 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 also revealed the big adjustments he’s made 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.”
Watt’s presence around the team provides hidden value that cannot be calculated in the form of numbers. According to Derrick Bell of Steelers Now, after Troy Fautanu got the better of Sawyer on a couple of pass sets, at the Friday Night Lights practice, the former Defensive Player of the Year headed back to the sideline for a brief water break with the former Ohio State Buckeye.
As soon as the fourth-round draft pick came back to the sideline, a lengthy conversation began between the two, with the team captain demonstrating different moves and giving the youngster some valuable pointers. The Ohio State product was soaking up all of the...
