Eagles’ Myles Jack considered trade school during free agency: ‘I couldn’t sit at home’

Linebacker Myles Jack spent nearly five months on the free-agent market before he finally signed with the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, along with fellow linebacker Zach Cunningham.

Jack spent last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers before moving across the Keystone State. He had 104 tackles in 15 games. However, as the days and weeks grew, Jack was thinking about starting down a new path.

Myles Jack, #47 of the Philadelphia Eagles, walks onto the field during Training Camp at Lincoln Financial Field on Aug. 9, 2023 in Philadelphia. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

“I like to work. I couldn’t sit at home. I’ve been blessed to make a lot of money. I could retire and sit at the house,” he told The Athletic, adding that he was thinking about going to trade school to become an electrician or a plumber.

“I want to be innovative. If a Zombie apocalypse came, I want to be able to build something,” he said.

Jack was a second-round draft pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2016. He started 10 of his first 16 appearances and recorded 24 tackles with two passes defended in his rookie year. He quickly became one of the core units on Jacksonville’s defense.

Myles Jack, #51 of the Pittsburgh Steelers, warms up prior to the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on Nov. 28, 2022 in Indianapolis. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

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He was the last of the famed “Sacksonville Defense” to be released after the 2021 season.

In four of the last five seasons, he has recorded at least 100 total tackles. He has 6.5 sacks over the course of his seven-year NFL career.

Should Jack make the team for the 2023 season, he would add immense depth to an already scary Eagles defense. Haason Reddick, Nakobe Dean and Nicholas Morrow are predicted to be the starters.

Myles Jack, #44 of the Jacksonville Jaguars, tries to stop Christian McCaffrey, #22 of the Carolina Panthers, during their game at Bank of America Stadium on Oct. 6, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Philly’s defense was second in yards allowed and eighth in points allowed last season. The Eagles made it all the way to Super Bowl LVII before suffering a close loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.