The Pittsburgh Steelers had rotten luck at the inside linebacker position in 2023, having to start five different players over the course of the season. Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander were two of the main pieces of the three-man rotation and suffered season-ending injuries in back-to-back weeks. Holcomb had signed a three-year contract prior to the start of last season. He remains on the roster, but his status is somewhat mysterious at this point in the offseason. The Steelers’ recent moves don’t suggest confidence in his availability.
“The Steelers have not provided any kind of timeline for Holcomb’s return,” Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo said via his chat on Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Based on their moves in free agency and the draft, I am betting they are not counting on much of a contribution from Holcomb this season, if at all.
“They signed Patrick Queen to the richest free agent deal in franchise history and selected Payton Wilson in the third round of the draft. Plus, Elandon Roberts is back for another season. If Holcomb does play this season, I don’t think it will be early in the season.”
Holcomb had a slow start to the season in 2023 but was really starting to play well and make an impact prior to his injury in Week 9. He had 54 total tackles, 31 solo tackles, four tackles for loss, two passes defensed, and two forced fumbles in less than eight full games prior to his significant knee injury.
Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin have been asked about his status throughout the offseason. They have mostly offered very little to those questions, but Tomlin did say he had a “favorable” checkup back in March. Around that same time, he was posted on social media doing a workout at Bommarito Performance Systems with a sleeve over his injured leg.
While those signs were positive, the Steelers’ moves bringing in Queen and Wilson don’t suggest a high level of confidence. Queen will be an unquestioned starter, given the investment in him, and Roberts was the glue that kept the ILB room together towards the end of last season, so he will continue to have a role. Much has been said about Wilson’s knee since he was drafted, but two straight years of high-level play in college without injury suggests he could also work his way into a big role sooner rather than later.
Even if Holcomb is able to work his way back, it could be after the start of the season, and he would have to hop on the moving train with plenty of competition around him. Another fan asked Fittipaldo why they don’t just release him if that is the case.
“The guy put his body on the line for the team and suffered a devastating injury. I think you at least have to give him a chance to come back this season,” Fittipaldo wrote. “If he can’t then they can release him with a year left on his contract. Would be a terrible look to part ways with him now.”
Given what happened last season, I don’t think the Steelers are in a hurry to thin out their depth or limit any flexibility at the position. We likely won’t know the full story until the start of training camp, when Tomlin provides a more concrete update and the team decides whether to start him out on the PUP list.
