Seven months ago, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Cole Holcomb suffered a devastating knee injury that ended his season and threatened his future. Though an exact return date to the lineup is unknown, offseason reports have gone from vague to optimistic. Earlier this year, GM Omar Khan only expressed confidence Holcomb would play football again. Fast-forward to today, and Mike Tomlin thinks that could happen as early as training camp.
“I’m sure he is, man,” Tomlin said via the team site when asked if Holcomb was on track to return in training camp. “I don’t have a lot of details about the specifics of it. But at every checkpoint, I think the experts are comfortable with his progress, and I know he’s working extremely hard.”
Holcomb was lost to a severe knee injury in a Week 9 win over the Tennessee Titans, colliding with teammate Keanu Neal. He was carted off and taken to a local hospital, soon landing on injured reserve. It cut short a promising year. Signed in the 2023 offseason, Holcomb looked like an anchor in the middle. Making splash plays that the room sorely missed. He racked up four tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, two pass deflections, and one fumble recovery before getting hurt.
With not much known about his injury, Cole Holcomb entered the offseason with an uncertain future. He posted videos of himself training and media reports earlier this spring indicated he was walking around without a limp or any medical protection. Tomlin also offered an early comment that he was rehabbing well. Now, he’s taken those comments a step further and begun to paint a timetable for him to return.
In context, Tomlin didn’t guarantee Holcomb would be a full participant or confirm he’d practice immediately. More likely, he would be eased back onto the football field. That could mean working in individual drills only and avoiding contact until later in the summer.
But considering Holcomb’s injury could’ve ended his career, the fact he’s likely to avoid PUP is a huge milestone. Assuming he returns at some point during the regular season, the Steelers will have to find a way to fit him into their group of Patrick Queen, Elandon Roberts, and rookie Payton Wilson. They’ll consider it a good problem to have.
