The Pittsburgh Steelers 2023 NFL season has come to a close. Because the Steelers are among the 31 teams who did not finish fulfilling their ultimate goal, they are in the process of wrapping up their season and moving forward into 2024.

Since the Steelers conduct exit interviews with all their players, and the fact I have done these articles in the past, we thought we would do the same here at Steel Curtain Network. By outlining two players each day, we will be able to look at their season in retrospect as well as looking toward the future. Since Coach Tomlin has previously stated he starts his interviews with rookies and those heading into free agency, we will attempt to do the same to some degree. To start, we will pair the most recent draftees with another player at the same position (if possible) as we work through this process to eventually cover the entire Steelers roster.

Two finish up the series, let’s take a look at the two players who finished the season on the practice squad but were elevated at the end of the season in Eric Rowe and Myles Jack.

Eric Rowe

Position: Safety
Years with the Steelers: 1
Years in the NFL: 9
Contract Status: A street free agent not currently on any roster.
Contract Details: Contract expired following the Steelers playoff loss.
Games played in 2023: 3 regular season
Games started in 2023: 3 regular season
Snaps (regular season): 155 (defense), 12 (special teams)
PFF score: 60.5 (DNQ for ranking)
Notable stats: During the regular season, Rowe had 29 tackles, a forced fumble, 2 passes defensed, and an interception.

Notes: Joining the Steelers practice squad following Week 11, Eric Rowe was called on for the Steelers three-game winning streak to finish the regular season. With unlimited practice squad elevations in the postseason, Rowe once again got the start and had eight more postseason tackles. Because he was a practice squad player, Rowe’s contract was up when the Steelers were eliminated from the postseason and could have still landed with another team later in the playoffs. Whether or not a reunion between Rowe and Steelers is on the table for 2024 remains to be seen, but based on how well he filled in off off the couch it might be in the Steelers best interest to bring Rowe to training camp if he is interested.

Myles Jack

Position: Linebacker
Years with the Steelers: 2
Years in the NFL: 8
Contract Status: A street free agent not currently on any roster.
Contract Details: Contract expired following the Steelers playoff loss.
Games played in 2023: 3 regular season
Games started in 2023: 1 regular season
Snaps (regular season): 131 (defense), 9 (special teams)
PFF score: 55.3 (DNQ for ranking)
Notable stats: During the regular season, Jack had 17 tackles and 1.0 sacks.

Notes: After being a salary cap casualty last season when the Steelers made other additions to the inside linebacker, Myles Jack landed in Philly only to then retire. But when the Steelers had a need last season, Jack came back to the practice squad following Week 11. Taking some time to get back into football shape, Myles Jack, much like Eric Rowe, was called on the final three games of the regular season as well as the playoffs. The only question is if Jack is still interested in playing in the NFL or if now he is ready for retirement. Still, the Steelers are in need for continued improvement at the inside linebacker position, so having Jack return in 2024 may not have mutual interest.

Thank you for joining in the exit interviews series this season. If you have missed any of the previous articles, they are listed here:

Broderick Jones & Chuks Okorafor
Joey Porter Jr. & Levi Wallace
Keeanu Benton & Montravius Adams
Darnell Washington & Rodney Williams
Nick Herbig & Markus Golden
Cory Trice Jr. & James Pierre
Spencer Anderson & Dylan Cook
Kenny Pickett & Mason Rudolph
George Pickens & Miles Boykin
DeMarvin Leal & Armon Watts
Calvin Austin III & Allen Robinson
Connor Heyward & Godwin Igwebuike
Mark Robinson & Blake Martinez
Najee Harris & Jaylen Warren
Pat Freiermuth & Diontae Johnson
Dan Moore Jr. & Mason Cole
Isaiahh Loudermilk & Larry Ogunjobi
Pressley Harvin & Christian Kuntz
Kwon Alexander & Mykal Walker
Miles Killebrew & Elijah Riley
Chandon Sullivan & Darius Rush
Cam Heyward & Patrick Peterson
Isaac Seumalo & Nate Herbig
Alex Highsmith & Kyron Johnson
Elandon Roberts & Cole Holcomb
James Daniels & Mitch Trubisky
T.J. Watt & Chris Boswell
Minkah Fitzpatrick & Damontae Kazee
Keanu Neal & Trenton Thompson