Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Shouts Out "Invaluable" Depth Piece That Helps The Defense Be Great

The Pittsburgh Steelers' defense looked a little shaky in the first half of their Week 6 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but it tightened up quickly and opened the door for a potential comeback. A lot of those early struggles in the contest could also be attributed to the offense being unable to move the ball, giving Tampa Bay numerous chances to develop a rhythm and push down the field. Hopefully, Pittsburgh can learn from that terrible first half and figure out how to never let that happen again. 

There was some great progress made defensively, as some issues finally got cleared up. The main one was that Nick Herbig got his first two sacks, as he's back to being a monster off the edge. The defense as a whole kept causing chaos in the backfield, as they combined for five sacks, 11 tackles for loss, and eight quarterback hits. TJ Watt's dominance was on display with the return of the "Hack-A-Shaq" technique used to limit him. 

With all the praise going around the different defensive players, former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger wanted to shout one player out despite his lack of stats. He explained this contribution during the latest episode of Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger.

"Even you're not hearing Jack Sawyer and [Nick] Herbig really until this game, the fact of the matter is where it's invaluable what they're doing is that they're giving your studs, Alex [Highsmith] and TJ [Watt] rest..." Roethlisberger explained. "Sawyer's growing into a rusher that's going to be very good... I think it's invaluable even if they're not putting big numbers up."

While Roethlisberger mentions Herbig as someone that can help the starters rest, he is officially listed as a starter as the third outside linebacker. The Steelers are expecting the fourth-year player to be someone that they can lean on for 60-70% of the snaps. That's why they gave him that four-year, $100 million extension. As soon as 2027, he will likely be a full-time starter as one of the main stars. 

Sawyer is not one of the big three, but he is still a respectable outside linebacker in his own right. His ability to come in and make sure the opposing offensive tackle doesn't take a play off is where Roethlisberger was really going here. He's having to sub in to make sure the starters can stay energized and ready to go whenever they are needed. His strong play has been a catalyst to this high-flying front seven. 

Sawyer has only played 28% of the defensive snaps so far in 2026, but he has made them count. Against the Buccaneers, he had a tackle for loss to go along with three tackles. He hasn't put much on the stat sheet throughout the year, but his teammates have definitely noticed and appreciated his contributions to the team. This type of rotation is expected to continue on as the season progresses.

Steelers Will Likely Have Huge Role For Sawyer Starting in 2027

With the Steelers having three edge rushers on massive contracts, it will be hard to keep all of them. Due to Watt's resurgence and Herbig being early in his deal, the most likely scenario is that Alex Highsmith will be dealt to save some cap and help free Herbig up. 

If that happens, Sawyer would end up stepping up as the primary early-down outside linebacker opposite Watt due to his large frame and defensive end background. That will allow him to see the field a lot more while still being a backup in obvious passing situations to help keep the former AP Defensive Player of the Year rested.

What do you think about Sawyer's "invaluable" role to the Steelers? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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