Steelers' Teryl Austin Gets Super Honest About Rookie Jack Sawyer

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The Pittsburgh Steelers used their fourth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to select outside linebacker Jack Sawyer. At the time, this pick was largely a “best player available” situation, as the Steelers are well-stocked at the position with TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith, and rising star Nick Herbig. Even so, the team clearly saw potential in Sawyer, a player with the athleticism and instincts to eventually contribute in a rotation-heavy defense. While the depth chart seemed crowded, the Steelers recognized that Sawyer could be a future asset if given time to develop.

Though Highsmith has continued to battle injury issues, this has opened the door for Sawyer to step up as a rookie and earn meaningful snaps in both practice and games. The Steelers' coaching staff has been deliberate in finding opportunities for him, balancing the need to keep him fresh while allowing him to gain valuable on-field experience. Fans have been watching closely to see if the 123rd overall pick can translate his college production to the NFL, and early reports suggest he’s making the most of his chance.

Steelers Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin took time to speak with the media on Thursday about his rookie outside linebacker, offering a very telling update on just how far Sawyer has come since being drafted. Austin praised his work ethic, adaptability, and football IQ, emphasizing that Sawyer is already grasping the nuances of the Steelers’ defensive schemes. While he remains a rookie with room to grow, the comments from Austin suggest that Sawyer is quickly earning the trust of his coaches and could carve out a meaningful role sooner rather than later.

"Yeah, he has grown," Austin said via a team provided transcript on Thursday. "Jack has grown. We like Jack. He allows us to do some things, Alex is down right now, so we're not out of a package. What constitutes limits? I think the game constitutes how much we use it or not. It's all game-driven, how we're doing it. How we're doing in that particular package is how much we'll use it."

The Steelers operated out of a three-outside-linebacker package in the rotation despite not having Highsmith in the Week 12 contest against the Cincinnati Bengals. 

Highsmith returned to the field against the Buffalo Bills and managed to remain healthy throughout the game. Austin continued to explain how Sawyer has progressed.

"Pleased with his progress and how he's doing it, and staying in that formation or staying in that grouping depends on how we're playing in that grouping," Austin said.

Austin didn’t seem to suggest that the Steelers would abandon the three-outside-linebacker package, though that will depend on how Sawyer and the rest of the group perform.. 

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