The Pittsburgh Steelers came out of their Week 2 loss with more questions than answers about the state of their team. A big chunk of that is the supposed "historic" defense that has been nowhere near the expectations that the team had set. Almost every piece of it has been either severely lackluster or suffering from multiple injuries. If these trends continue, this will be a very long season that only leads to the angry voices of the fan base getting louder and louder. Something needs to change quickly.
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Steelers' TJ Watt practices ahead of a Week 2 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks in 2025.
It's not all bad, however. During his Tomlin Tuesday press conference, Head Coach Mike Tomlin gave all kinds of praise to one of his rookies, linebacker Jack Sawyer, as he has already seen an increase in snaps from Week 1 to Week 2.
"I thought it was a significant improvement in the quality of his play on defense and in [special] teams," Tomlin said. "But 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 that comfort, and so I'm excited about the extended opportunities that he's going to continue to get, particularly aligning with [Alex] Highsmith being out now."
During his first two games, Sawyer played a total of 89 snaps, with most of those coming from special teams. In Week 1, he had just one assist on a tackle. In Week 2, however, he made himself known despite limited reps. He had six total tackles, two tackles for loss, one quarterback hit, and his first career sack. For a rookie fourth-round backup, that is a great performance, and he should continue to improve in that area.
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Steelers outside linebacker Jack Sawyer (33) during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
With Nick Herbig missing Week 1 and Alex Highsmith suffering a high-ankle sprain in Week 2, Sawyer saw more playing time than expected, even if was still limited in his snaps. However, Highsmith is already defined as out for Week 3, and his status for Week 4 is up in the air. Now that the Steelers will have to make a gameplan that does not include him, Sawyer could see an increased workload. His Week 2 performance certainly helps with that case.
Sawyer will continue to be the primary backup for the next week or so, and he will be expected to play on both sides of the ball to help both Herbig and TJ Watt take some time off to catch their breath. On top of that, he will continue to be a "four-phase" guy on special teams, working on kickoffs, punts, and returns for both sides. #33 will be on the field constantly as he tries to push for an increased role, even when everyone is healthy.
Steelers May Eventually Trade Away Star Player To Give Sawyer More Time
Between the youth at the edge rusher position and the constant injuries, Highsmith is starting to become more expendable. Herbig would likely be a full-time starter on every other NFL team, and Sawyer is already proving to be an absolute steal from the 2025 NFL Draft. If they both keep playing like this, the Steelers could try to keep adding future draft capital by shipping off Highsmith.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers outside linebacker Alex Highsmith (56) during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
If he comes back and continues to be productive during the 2025 season, the Steelers could fetch a Day 2 pick in a deal for Highsmith. His contract is not extreme, and he is still a great player whenever he is on the field. Teams like the Dallas Cowboys could definitely benefit from his services, and Pittsburgh would have more capital to use in a trade to move up in the first round and finally get their quarterback of the future.
What do you think about Tomlin's praise of Sawyer? Do you think he will build off of his strong Week 2 performance? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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