The Steelers Should Not Consider Releasing Myles Jack As A Cap Casualty

The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves in a bit of a predicament for the upcoming 2023 season on the defensive side of the football. SteelerNation has witnessed the Steelers front office put an emphasis on addressing the problems on the opposite side of the ball, revamping the quarterback, wide receiver and running back positions over the past three seasons respectively.

Many, who involved themselves with the daily activities of this team seem to think although it may be tempting to add potential offensive playmakers to help rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett out, it seems that the Steelers front office will be putting the needs found on the defensive side of the ball at the forefront this coming off-season.

It is inevitable that there will be some sort of turnover as far as this defense is concerned as there are many positions whose starter last season may not be the same once Week 1 of 2023 is upon us. One position that has already garnered a good amount of attention is the middle linebacker spot where, whether it be a contract expiring or just a dip in overall individual performances, the Steelers, unfortunately, face questions regarding the future of some of their premier players who man the middle of the field.

Even though the Steelers do have Jack locked up for another year of his services, the Steelers have Devin Bush, Robert Spillane and Marcus Allen as linebackers who will, as of now, will be listed as unrestricted free agents once that March 13th date hits and it is highly unlikely that all three will be back, if any. In an off-season where the Steelers have some money to spend, it's hard to imagine the Steelers letting Jack go off into the free agent market, not only would he not be an unrestricted free agent like his counterparts, but when healthy, he just so happened to be their best interior linebacker all season. 

Despite suffering a groin injury that kept him out of a few contests, Jack played in 15 total games going over the 100 mark in total tackles (104)  while also accumulating three tackles for loss. He proved he still has some promise in defending against the pass, holding his own with three passes defended. The former first-round selection of the Jacksonville Jaguars lead the Steelers' defense as a whole in tackles and was the only one to put up over 100 tackles, still while missing two overall games. 

His contributions were felt on this defense and clearly was enough to back it up. In a Week 18 post-game interview with Steelers.com, Jack was vocal about wanting to stay in Pittsburgh at this season's end and while the fate of his counterparts may be in question, I believe Jack did enough in 2022 to hold his spot once the 2023 season arrives. The question is, who will be beside him? 

Myles Jack On Returning To The Steelers In 2023

“The leadership that we have. I would love to come back. I would love to keep the same team but you know how the NFL is.”

“Nobody blinked an eye, nobody started pointing fingers. We just all kind of honed in, worked harder and it all kind of ended up working out.”

There have been some rumors circulating about the direction the Steelers will go in once the beginning of free agency starts on March 13th. Even with Jack most likely returning for his second season, the Steelers are running slim at the middle linebacker position. Although just speculation at this point, the name Tremaine Edmunds seems to be paired more than most with the black and gold for a potential homecoming with his brother, Steelers-starting safety Terrell Edmunds as he too hopes to re-sign for another season. 

Whichever direction they choose to go, it has to make the front office feel a little more comfortable knowing they have a 100-plus tackler at their fingertips. Do you think the Steelers should hold on to Myles Jack? Or Start Fresh at the MLB position?