Myles Jack

NFC East Notes: Commanders, Kearse, Giants

Battling a turf toe issue sustained Monday night, Terry McLaurin will not need surgery. But an extended rest period is underway. This hiatus has the top Commanders skill-position talent uncertain to be ready by Week 1, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler (Twitter links). McLaurin has not missed a game due to injury since 2020. The Commanders have made some big investments at wide receiver since starting McLaurin’s tenure off with little around him. Curtis Samuel is going into the final season of his three-year, $34.5MM contract, and the team has first-rounder Jahan Dotson going into his second season. But McLaurin has been one of the NFL’s best receivers, totaling his third straight 1,000-yard season months after signing a three-year, $69.6MM extension.

Here is the latest from the NFC East:

Eagles LB Myles Jack To Retire

Eagles linebacker Myles Jack plans to retire, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter). Jack just signed with Philadelphia two weeks ago.

A first-round talent that fell to the second round of the 2016 draft due to knee concerns, Jack was selected by the Jaguars and quickly established himself as a fixture on quality Jacksonville defenses that featured other notable performers like Jalen Ramsey, Yannick Ngakoue, and Calais Campbell. Like Jack, Ramsey and Ngakoue were also 2016 draftees.

In his second professional campaign, Jack started all 16 regular season contests for the Jags and all three of their playoff games, helping the team come heartwrenchingly close to a Super Bowl appearance. He finished the year with 90 total tackles and a strong 71.7 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.

The following year, Jack cracked 100 tackles for the first time in his career and was again considered a solid overall performer by PFF’s metrics. However, the 2018 season was not as successful for the Jaguars as a whole, as the team finished 5-11 and well outside the playoff picture. After that season was over, Jack, Ramsey, and Ngakoue became extension-eligible for the first time, though Jack was the only member of that talented trio to see a second contract with Jacksonville.

In August 2019, Jack inked a four-year, $57MM extension to stay in Duval, though the 2019 season was a forgettable one for player and team alike. For the first time as a pro, Jack missed game action due to injury, as he was shelved for the final five contests of the regular season slate. He received an abysmal 45.9 overall grade from PFF, and the Jags finished in last place in the AFC South for the second straight year.

In terms of both surface-level stats and the advanced metrics, Jack had a bounceback effort in 2020, as he posted 118 tackles, five passes defensed, a sack, and an inteception. Unfortunately, the club finished with a 1-15 record, and after a similarly disappointing showing in 2021 under Urban Meyer‘s brief and disastrous stewardship, Jack was released.

He quickly caught on with the Steelers and recorded over 100 tackles for the third consecutive season, but those tackle numbers were not indicative of his overall effectiveness. Pittsburgh made him a cap casualty in May as part of its overhaul at the linebacker position.

Jack and fellow veteran linebacker Zach Cunningham signed with the Eagles on August 6, and both seemingly had an opportunity to see significant snaps alongside Nakobe Dean (particularly with Shaun Bradley out for the season). But as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer observed just yesterday, Cunningham was more impressive than Jack, who had not seen much action with the first-stringers.

Days away from his 28th birthday, Jack will hang up his cleats with over $50MM in career earnings. We at PFR congratulate the former UCLA standout on a fine career and wish him well in the next chapter of his life.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/20/23

Here are today’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Detroit Lions

Jacksonville Jaguars

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

It appears that, like Colby Wadman before him, Palardy is just a camp body. Incumbent punter Tress Way is dealing with a back ailment, and he will only work as the holder in the Commanders’ preseason contest against the Ravens tomorrow night (Twitter link via Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post). So Palardy, who has appeared in 80 games in his career (including eight with the Patriots in 2022), will have a chance to audition for other clubs that may be on the lookout for a punter at some point.

Washington is also in need of another player to rotate in on the defensive line, as Jonathan Allen (plantar fasciitis) and Phidarian Mathis are both banged up (Twitter link via ESPN’s John Keim). Mack, who has 25 appearances in his pro career, will at least help the team get through camp and the rest of the preseason slate.

Eagles Add Zach Cunningham, Myles Jack

The Eagles expanded their roster at linebacker a bit today, signing free agent linebackers Zach Cunningham and Myles Jack, according to the team’s Twitter account. After working out the two veterans today, according to ESPN’s Field Yates, they were brought onto the roster on identical one-year deals worth up to $2.5MM.

Philadelphia did a similar dual-action deal last year with defensive tackles Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Suh, both of whom played sparingly as rotation depth pieces. This time, the two players signing deals have a bit more of a chance of making an impact during their one-year terms. Over their careers, Cunningham and Jack have both served as starters for their respective teams.

Cunningham has stuck in the AFC South for the first six years of his career, playing with the Texans and Titans until now. Serving as a starter essentially from the start, Cunningham made a name for himself as a tackling machine. The Texans rewarded him with a four-year, $58MM extension before the final year of his rookie contract. He rewarded them right back by leading the league in tackles that same year.

He was a strong run defender and pass rusher but struggled in coverage, keeping him from being an all-around top player at the position. Eventually, his one-way style of play, his big contract numbers, and a reported disciplinary issue led to Houston waiving the veteran, allowing him to be claimed by their division rivals in Nashville. Injuries marked Cunningham’s time with the Titans, contributing to him missing 14 games over the last two seasons. When he was available, though, he started in the box for Tennessee.

Jack has spent the majority of his career in Jacksonville after being drafted by the Jaguars in the second round back in 2016. After turning into a full-time starter in Duval, Jack earned a second contract in the form of a four-year, $57MM extension. Unfortunately, the following year saw Jack miss five games with a number of different issues. After falling out of the first round of the draft due to injury concerns, this was the first game time Jack would miss. Over the following years, he would miss more games, but ultimately, he was able to suit up for 88 of 97 possible games in Jacksonville, starting 82.

The Jaguars attacked the free agent market at its opening last year and, as a result, released Jack to make some room in their cap space. The Steelers jumped on Jack’s availability, signing him the next day to a two-year, $16MM deal. Jack didn’t have a stellar season in Pittsburgh, but he logged his fourth 100-tackle season at only 27 years old. Pittsburgh ended up releasing him during a complete revamp of their linebacking corps, making him available for the Eagles to sign today.

On their way to the Super Bowl last year, the Eagles relied on T.J. Edwards (now with the Bears), Kyzir White (now with the Cardinals), and Haason Reddick to start on defense. Reddick returns to reclaim his role as a starter, but with Edwards and White gone, Philadelphia was looking to second-year second-round pick Nakobe Dean and free agent linebacker addition Nicholas Morrow (who spent last year as a full-time starter for the first time in his career with the Bears) to start next to him. Adding to the bit of uncertainty that comes with handing the keys over to two such inexperienced starters, Dean is dealing with an ankle injury that appears to be holding him out of camp, according to Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP.com.

Whether Philadelphia is fully confident and committed to rolling out a starting three of Reddick, Dean, and Morrow or they aren’t sold on that lineup, the signings of Cunningham and Jack make a lot of sense. If Dean and Morrow are able to step up, the two new signings provide strong, experienced depth behind them. If Dean and Morrow falter in taking the reins, Cunningham and Jack will be ready and waiting in the wings to take over.

Steelers To Sign LB Elandon Roberts, Release LB Myles Jack

The Steelers’ Cole Holcomb addition will not round out their linebacker moves in free agency. They have also reached an agreement to bring in Elandon Roberts, Cameron Wolfe of NFL.com tweets.

Roberts agreed to a two-year deal with Pittsburgh. Brian Flores brought Roberts from New England to Miami in 2020. Though Flores is no longer with the Steelers, the team is bringing in a player the new Vikings DC coached in two cities. Roberts has 76 starts on his resume, including 32 over the past two seasons in Miami. Roberts’ deal is a two-year, $7MM pact, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, who notes (via Twitter) the eighth-year veteran received a $2.3MM signing bonus.

Pittsburgh’s additions of Roberts and Holcomb will precede a release of Myles Jack, Adam Schefter of ESPN tweets. Jack signed a two-year , $16MM deal with the Steelers in 2022, but the team is moving to other options a year later. This marks the second straight March that a team has made Jack a cap casualty. A year after the Jaguars cut the longtime starter, the Steelers will save $8MM by making this move.

Although Roberts’ Miami tenure included a late-December knee injury in his first year with the team (2020), he bounced back and became a regular starter — both with Flores and following his firing. Roberts started every game for the Dolphins last year, totaling a career-high 107 tackles (10 for loss) and registering 4.5 sacks. That interesting combination is a bit of an outlier for Roberts, who had never produced more than two sacks in a season during his time with the Pats or Dolphins. But the versatile defender did enough to earn a multiyear commitment.

While Pro Football Focus rated Roberts just outside the top 60 at linebacker last year, he graded as the advanced metrics site’s No. 1 pass-rushing linebacker (among off-ball ‘backers). The Patriots used Roberts as a starter throughout their late-2010s run of Super Bowl appearances; he made 33 starts with the Pats from 2016-19.

Jack, who is still just 27 despite having played seven NFL seasons, made 104 tackles last season. PFF graded the former second-round pick just below Roberts — a 2016 sixth-rounder — at linebacker. The seven-year starter, who now has four 100-tackle seasons on his resume, will look for a third NFL team. He should not be expected to command a contract in the $8MM-AAV range, however.

The Steelers are making wholesale changes at linebacker. Robert Spillane, who played 59% of Pittsburgh’s defensive snaps last season, signed with the Raiders this week. Devin Bush has long been viewed as a one-contract Steeler; the former top-10 pick is visiting the Seahawks today.

Steelers To Sign LB Myles Jack

It didn’t take long for Myles Jack to find his next gig. The former Jaguars linebacker is signing with the Steelers, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). It’s a two-year deal worth $16MM.

[RELATED: Jaguars To Release Myles Jack]

Jacksonville’s spending spree was going to come with a cost, and the team ultimately decided to move on from their leading tackler yesterday. Jack inked a four-year, $57MM deal ($33MM guaranteed) with Jacksonville back in 2019.

With that said, Jack is still a productive player. He finished last season with 108 tackles in 15 starts, and he had a career-high 118 tackles as recently as 2020. The former second-round pick won’t turn 27 until September, so it makes sense that the Steelers still think he’s got something in the tank.

Many of the Steelers initial FA moves were focused on offense, but the team has started adding to their defense. We learned yesterday that the team was signing cornerback Levi Wallace to a two-year deal.

Jaguars To Release Myles Jack

Something had to give. After signing scores of high-end free agents on Monday, the Jaguars are releasing linebacker Myles Jack, according to a source who spoke with Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Jack led the Jags with 108 tackles last year, his sixth season in Jacksonville. Ultimately, however, he was the victim of a numbers crunch, and the team had no room for the remainder of his four-year, $57MM deal.

It was less than a month ago that newly-hired defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell told reporters how much he was looking forward to working with Jack.

With Myles he was just, ‘Coach, I’m ready to go, whatever he wants to do,”‘ Caldwell said (via Sports Illustrated). “He’s that type of guy that whatever the team asks him to do, he’s a team-oriented guy. Whatever we want him to do, he’s going to go out there and do it to the best of his ability. But as coaches, it’s our job to let him go do what he does well, and that’s what we plan on doing.”

The “Jack Of All Trades” was a true disruptor in 2020 when he notched 118 stops, one sack, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, one interception, and five passes defensed. He was less of a factor in 2021, though the overall situation in Jacksonville certainly didn’t help.

Jack won’t turn 27 until September and should garner plenty of attention on the open market this week.

NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 12/31/21

Here are the New Year’s Eve additions and subtractions from teams’ reserve/COVID-19 lists:

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

  • Activated from practice squad virus list: T Drew Himmelman, LB Barrington Wade

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

NFL COVID List Updates: 12/25-12/26/21

We’ve compiled a list of players who were placed on or activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list on Christmas and today. In some instances, players activated from the list remain on IR:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Steven Sims

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Jaguars Place Myles Jack On IR

Myles Jack is headed to injured reserve, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Jack has dealt with a number of injuries this season, so there’s no one known malady keeping him out of action.

Jack inked a four-year, $57MM extension with the Jaguars prior to the season, a deal that included $33MM guaranteed. Between 2017 and 2018, Jack played in 98% of Jacksonville’s snaps and notched 197 tackles.

As one of the league’s most talented linebackers, he’ll be missed on the field, even though this is a lost season for the 4-8 Jags. The 24-year-old finishes out the year with 66 tackles, one interception, and half-credit for a sack.

Prior to Week 13, Jack had not missed a game in his NFL career. Without the former second-round pick, third-year linebacker Donald Payne figures to hold down the fort at middle linebacker.

Jack hasn’t looked like his usual self this season, so he’ll look to heal up and enter 2020 at 100% health.