Getty Former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Myles Jack reportedly suddenly retired from the Philadelphia Eagles on August 20.
Linebacker Myles Jack played one season in 2022 for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the team released him in March to save salary cap space. At the beginning of this month, Jack signed with the Philadelphia Eagles.
But as it turns out, Jack won’t play even one season for the Eagles.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on August 20 that Jack “has informed” the Eagles that he plans to retire.
Sources: Veteran LB Myles Jack has informed the #Eagles that he plans to retire after seven NFL seasons and 617 tackles. Jack signed with Philly during camp, now will hang ‘em up.
Jack’s decision to retire comes just two weeks after he signed with the Eagles.
Jack will retire after playing seven seasons in the NFL. He spent six of those with the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2016-21.
During 2022, he posted 104 combined tackles, including 3 tackles for loss, 1 quarterback hit and 3 pass defenses in 15 games for the Steelers.
Jack Considered Career Change Before Signing With Eagles
Great players signing late in the offseason has become a fad in the NFL. But Jack admitted that while he waited for the chance to sign with another team, he considered another career.
The Athletic’s Zach Berman reported on August 9 that Jack told him he thought about going to a trade school to become an electrician or plumber.
“I like to work. I couldn’t sit at home,” Jack told Berman. “I’ve been blessed to make a lot of money. I could retire and sit at the house … I want to be innovative.
“If a Zombie apocalypse came, I want to be able to build something.”
It’s unclear at this time if Jack is retiring to pursue a career in a trade. But clearly, NFL retirement has been on his mind, and it seems to have never really left his thoughts even after he signed with the Eagles.
Jack signed a one-year, $1.775 million deal to join the Eagles. The contract included a $25,000 signing bonus.
He signed a much bigger deal to join the Steelers last season. Pittsburgh inked the linebacker to a two-year, $16 million contract with a $6.5 million signing bonus in March 2022.
In August 2019, he signed a four-year, $57 million contract extension with $33 million guaranteed with the Jaguars.
Obviously, he’s accumulated a lot of wealth. But interestingly, if this is the end of Jack’s career, he will leave the NFL without finishing his last three contracts.
The Jaguars and Steelers both released Jack before the end of those deals. With his retirement, Jack won’t finish his contract with the Eagles either.
How the Steelers are Replacing Myles Jack
The Steelers signed Jack hoping he’d be a short-term solution to the hole the team has been unable to fill at inside linebacker since Ryan Shazier’s career-ending injury.
While Jack led the team in tackles, he left something to be desired in the big-play department. He didn’t record a sack or an interception last season. He also only reached the quarterback once.
Releasing Jack saved the Steelers $8 million in cap space. Pittsburgh then signed three new inside linebackers this offseason — Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts and Kwon Alexander.
For most of the offseason, Holcomb and Roberts were expected to be the team’s starters. They are listed as the team’s current starters at inside linebacker on the team’s depth chart.
But the Steelers signed Alexander on July 29. In the Week 2 preseason game against the Buffalo Bills on August 19, he played with the starters while Holcomb played more snaps with reserve defensive players.
Regardless of who starts and plays the most snaps, the three veteran inside linebackers the Steelers signed this year are expected to make up a much better group this season than Jack and Devin Bush were a year ago.