Eagles Sign former Steelers Linebacker

The reigning NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles have bolstered their inside linebacker room with signing former Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebacker Myles Jack, along with Zach Cunningham, who played with Tennessee and Houston, to one-year deals on Sunday afternoon. Both were signed after being worked out. Jack joins former Steelers strong safety Terrell Edmunds in Philadelphia, who also signed a one-year deal back in late March.

Jack spent six years in Jacksonville before playing one year in Pittsburgh in 2022. He led the Steelers in tackles with 104, but he didn’t create any splash plays, recording just three tackles for loss and no sacks or turnovers. The Steelers entire inside linebacker group didn’t have a sack or forced turnover last season, which is why the team reshaped the entire corps. Pro Football Focus graded Jack very poorly in 2022, giving him a 53.6 grade.

In a cap-saving move this offseason, the Steelers released Jack on March 16. The Steelers already found Jack’s replacements prior to the move, as they signed former Washington Commanders linebacker Cole Holcomb to a three-year deal, and former Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots linebacker to a two-year deal. The Steelers saved $8 million by parting ways with Jack. It was the second year in a row that Jack was released due to a cap-saving move, as the Jaguars did the same thing.

Jack was hampered with a debilitating groin injury last year that kept him in and out of the lineup. Jack is only 27, however, so if he meshes well with the Eagles, it could be a spot where he could revive his career.

The Steelers have struggled to find a true replacement for Ryan Shazier since his career-ending spinal cord injury in December of 2017. Jack is a part of a former Steelers linebacker group that includes Jon Bostic, Mark Barron, Avery Williamson and Joe Schobert, who all lasted just one season in Pittsburgh.

On July 30, the Steelers signed eight-year veteran linebacker Kwon Alexander to a one-year deal. The 6-foot-1, 227-pounder was selected in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers out of LSU and started as a 21-year-old rookie for the Bucs. Alexander led the NFL with 108 solo tackles in 2016 and made his first and only Pro Bowl in 2017.

Alexander, who most recently played with the New York Jets,  joined a Steelers’ inside linebacker room that includes  Holcomb, Roberts, Tanner Muse, and Nick Kwiatkoski all being new faces to the team. In addition, it has a new inside linebackers coach Aaron Curry. Alexander could be the answer at inside linebacker for the Steelers, which they’ve been in search for over the last half-decade.