The Pittsburgh Steelers overhauled their inside linebacker room in 2023. They signed Elandon Roberts, Kwon Alexander, and Cole Holcomb during the offseason. Unfortunately, both Alexander and Holcomb suffered season-ending injuries in back-to-back. So to kick-start the 2024 offseason, the Steelers signed Patrick Queen and then selected Payton Wilson in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
While Alexander only signed a one-year deal and is a free agent, Holcomb is still rehabbing from his injury while under contract. Updates on his status have been vague, but it’s easy to connect the dots with the Queen signing and the Wilson selection that the Steelers are making sure they’re covered at linebacker.
That doesn’t mean Holcomb isn’t working hard to get back on the field, though.
“It’s been a grind,” Holcomb said on Wednesday to Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “It’s gonna be a grind. But it’s one of those injuries that all you’ve got to do is just [expletive] work. I can do that. I have no problem doing that. I’ll do whatever I gotta do to get back.”
Holcomb went down with a serious knee injury during the Steelers’ win over the Tennessee Titans last November. Initial thoughts were that he tore an ACL, but ESPN’s Brooke Pryor said that the injury was more severe than that. She wasn’t given much in the way of specifics, but obviously, she felt comfortable in reporting that.
Prior to the injury, Holcomb was playing well in the middle of the Steelers’ defense. He had 54 tackles in eight games with two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, two passes defended, four tackles for a loss, and two quarterback hits. A fully healthy Holcomb would only be a positive for the defense in 2024.
The Steelers certainly addressed the issues at inside linebacker this offseason, but they probably would feel even better with Holcomb ready to go. However, no one knows when that will be. And if he does, he isn’t letting on.
“That would be a HIPAA violation,” Holcomb joked when he was asked about a potential return date.
