While Pittsburgh Steelers ILB Cole Holcomb missed most of last season with a foot injury as a member of the Washington Commanders, the fifth-year linebacker is back on the field for Steelers training camp. Holcomb confirmed to reporters, including Teresa Varley of Steelers.com, that the plan is for him to be a three-down linebacker, and said he’s excited about what the Steelers have in store for him.
“I feel confident with the coaches, their plan and everything they got,” said Holcomb. “I’m just going to do whatever they need me to do.”
He also expressed that he’s comfortable coming off his injury.
“It was like riding a bike,” said Holcomb. “There were a couple plays I was a little too amped and I got a little tunnel vision.”
Getting tunnel vision and trying to do too much early on in camp is normal, coming off an injury or not. Everyone wants to make an impact and show what they’re capable of early on, so it’s not a concern if Holcomb made a mistake here or there on day one.
Pittsburgh’s relying on Holcomb to make a real impact this season. The team overhauled its inside linebacker group, replacing Myles Jack, Devin Bush and Robert Spillane with Holcomb, Elandon Roberts, Nick Kwiatkoski and Tanner Muse, although Muse is likely to feature primarily on special teams. Holcomb is going to be the leader of that group and the guy likely to wear the green dot, so expectations are high for him to succeed.
He was a productive player for Washington, and there’s hope he can return to his 2021 form when he totaled 142 combined tackles. He’s a downhill thumper, and if he comes into the season fully healthy, which it certainly seems like he is, he’s going to be an upgrade over what the Steelers had at the linebacker position last season.
Per usual, coverage is going to be the concern out of Pittsburgh’s off-ball linebacker group. But with Keanu Neal, who has played some linebacker in the past, now on the roster as a safety, he could get some work in as a dime backer to help try and mitigate the lack of coverage ability.
But it’s a group that should be solid against the run, with Holcomb at the forefront of that. He’s a player I’m really looking forward to watching throughout training camp and as the season gets underway. I think he’s going to be a good player for the Steelers.
