The Steelers made several upgrades this offseason.
Outside of the well-documented quarterback room, the unit that received potentially the biggest facelift was the inside linebacker core. After an injury-riddled season for the group, Pittsburgh brought in new faces both in free agency and in the draft.
Starting in the free agency pool, the team brought in Patrick Queen by way of AFC North rival, the Baltimore Ravens. Poised to be the Steelers’ main starter alongside incumbent Elandon Roberts, Queen will be featured as the team’s defensive leader for the foreseeable future.
In the draft, the team added Payton Wilson from North Carolina State, and he seems to be in the running to play dime linebacker this season.
With all of these additions, it raises the question: Where does that leave Cole Holcomb?
The 2022 free agent addition was off to a hot start to the season last year with a 65.5 grade on PFF, a massive improvement from what the team was working with since the Ryan Shazier injury.
Now, Bleacher Report has tabbed him as a potential cut candidate this season.
The article written by Gary Davenport notes a Brooke Pryor quote about Holcomb from a recent appearance on the Adam and Gold Show.
“My understanding is it’s not just a simple ACL tear and they’re being very vague on what the specific injury is,” she said in the interview. “I think this is in some ways insurance for the Cole Holcomb signing and gives them a starting-caliber inside linebacker to play when the season gets started, because Holcomb’s recovery timeline isn’t quite clear.”
Not exactly a comforting sentiment from one of the most plugged in reporters for the team.
The article goes on to say that there are difficulties in cutting Holcomb, as there are protections by the NFL put on players dealing with injuries.
However, the more time that he spends on the sideline, the more opportunities it gives Queen and Wilson.
If the team does elect to keep Holcomb and he returns to his 2023 pre-injury form, the Steelers figure to have one of the deepest inside linebacker groups in the NFL.
On the flipside, it remains to be seen if the Steelers are willing to keep upwards of four starter-level players at the same position on the roster, especially when Holcomb is being paid over $7 million a year.
Only time will tell, but expect to have more answers after Latrobe.
