The Steelers signed linebacker Jack Sawyer, the team's fourth-round pick, to a four-year contract. Sawyer, who played at Ohio State, was selected with the 123rd overall pick.
"This guy is really good, tough," said defensive coordinator Teryl Austin. "Unbelievable intangibles. Football character. He also has a knack for making plays when you need. You see him make a lot of big plays at crunch. It tells me he is a guy who is going to show up when you need him.
"Unbelievable across the board. No holes about who he is and what he is about. I think he will fit in nicely in our room.
"When you have a guy who has all of the qualities he has, and the intangibles, and winning attitude, those things are hard to pass up."
Sawyer takes pride in those intangibles, in particular his toughness which he brings to all aspects of his game.
"I try to play the game as physical and as tough as I possibly can," said Sawyer. "Setting an edge and playing the run is all about manhood on manhood. And for me that's kind of who I am as a guy, as a man. And, I love the storied defenses we've had throughout Pittsburgh and the toughness they play with. And I can't wait to bring a part of that with me."
Sawyer appeared in 53 career games, starting 29 consecutive games to finish his career. He finished with 138 tackles, 65 of them solo stops. He added 20 sacks and 25.5 tackles for a loss. He also had 11 passes defensed, six forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and one interception.
"When you look at him, he is a smart guy," said Austin. "He understands the game. He gets himself on edges and knows when to rush. He knows when to bull rush. That's how guys have a knack for it. They really study. They understand the game. They understand situations. He takes advantage of all of that instead of just playing."
Sawyer appeared in 16 games in 2024, finishing with a career-high 59 tackles, 25 of them solo stops. He also had nine sacks and nine tackles for a loss, both of them career highs.
