Steelers Head Coach Endorses Rookie Linebacker
Steelers rookie outside linebacker Jack Sawyer was praised by head coach Mike Tomlin for his interception in the third quarter of Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts. After the game, Tomlin remarked, “Man, the sun is always shining on Jack Sawyer. He is a five-star.” Sawyer’s interception marked the fourth turnover the Steelers defense forced during the game. The Colts had a total of six turnovers. The Steelers defeated the Colts with a score of 27-20. The Steelers defeated the Colts 27-20. Pittsburgh capitalized on turnovers, scoring 24 of their 27 points off takeaways, including three touchdowns and one field goal. It was the most points the Steelers had scored off turnovers in a game since Week Nine of 2007 against the Baltimore Ravens, when they scored 28.
In Week Two against the Seattle Seahawks, Sawyer had six tackles, including four solo tackles. He also had two tackles for loss and one sack. Tomlin noticed Sawyer’s excellent performance. After the Steelers’ Week Two game, Tomlin said, “I thought it was a significant improvement in the quality of his play on defense and in special teams. I think that’s a reasonable expectation for a lot of young people. He had been in the 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.”
Tomlin isn’t the only one who took notice of Sawyer’s playing abilities. During the offseason, Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin spoke about Sawyer. Austin said, “This guy is really good, tough, unbelievable, intangible football character, and he also has a knack for making plays when they’re needed. You see him make a lot of big plays at crunch time, which tells me he’s going to be the type of guy that shows up when you need them, when plays are needed. Really, just unbelievable across the board, no holes in terms of who he is and what he’s about, and I think he’ll fit in nicely in our room.”
The Steelers chose Sawyer in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Sawyer played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He was named to the second-team All-Big Ten for two consecutive years in both 2023 and 2024. He was named the Defensive MVP of the 2025 Cotton Bowl. Throughout his collegiate career, Sawyer amassed 144 tackles, including 68 solo tackles, and 23 sacks. He also had one interception and six forced fumbles.
