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Pittsburgh Steelers safety Juan Thornhill will likely see an increased role after the DeShon Elliott injury.
The Pittsburgh Steelers need to improve their defensive performance from a season ago. In former head coach Mike Tomlin‘s final season with the team, his defense finished the 2025 campaign 26th in total defense (356.9 YPG). Under this new Mike McCarthy-led regime, younger players are going to have to step up behind the likes of Cam Heyward and T.J. Watt.
One of those players is going to have to be second-year edge-rusher Jack Sawyer. While speaking on Not Just Football with Cam Heyward, Sawyer’s teammate, Nick Herbig, revealed how big a year the former Buckeye will have this upcoming season.
GettyJack Sawyer won a national title with Ohio State in 2024.
Here is what Herbig had to say about what he’s expecting from Sawyer in his second season:
“Jack’s gonna have a big year. I think it’s gonna be a breakout year for him. He looks good. He leaned up. He looks twitchy…He’s coming to Wisconsin with me and T.J. this year for three weeks. I think that will be huge for him, but I expect him to have a big year.”
Nick Herbig on Training with Jack Sawyer and TJ Watt:
“Jack’s gonna have a big year. I think it’s gonna be a breakout year for him. He looks good he leaned up looks twitchy. He’s coming to Wisconsin with me and T.J. this year for three weeks. I think that will be huge for him
Sawyer played in a reserve role behind the likes of T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Herbig. While appearing in 17 games last season, he started once. As a rookie, he recorded 34 combined tackles, four pass deflections, three tackles for loss, six quarterback hits, and a sack. The potential is there for him to take it to the next level, even as a backup player. The training he’ll receive from Watt and Herbig should also help him in a big way.
GettyThe Steelers hired Patrick Graham as their new defensive coordinator this offseason.
The Steelers were very aggressive this offseason in their quest to retool their defense. Along the defensive line, they signed former Super Bowl champion Sebastian Joseph-Day. He could fit in very nicely with Heyward, who the team extended, and Watt on the line.
Pittsburgh’s front office also really went to work on the backend of their defense. They re-signed veteran cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. Then, they signed three more defensive backs. Former Super Bowl champion cornerback Jamel Dean, former Chicago Bears starting safety Jaquan Brisker, and eight-year veteran safety Darnell Savage Jr. were all brought to the Steel City this offseason. It is safe to say that Steelers GM Omar Khan and McCarthy aren’t messing around in their first year back working together since their time in New Orleans over two decades ago.
If players like Sawyer can really kick it up a notch in their second season, the Steelers have a chance to become a defensive team once again. That much is true, even if their quarterback is Aaron Rodgers and even if McCarthy is one of the best offensive head coaches of his generation. It is not unreasonable to expect this team to win at least 10 games again, especially if the defense plays up to its potential under new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.
Tim Lindsey A Chicago-area native, Tim Lindsey has covered the world of sports through a variety of different lenses. More specifically, he has been an NFL writer for sites such as Sports Illustrated and PFSN. Notable teams like the Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, and Pittsburgh Steelers have been a major point of emphasis for the longtime writer in the past. More about Tim Lindsey
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