Inside Acrisure Stadium 426 days ago, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Cole Holcomb left the game on a cart and spent the night in the hospital. A severe knee injury he suffered made it fair to wonder if not when Holcomb would play again. Fast forward to today and for the first time, Holcomb returned to the practice field. Though he still remains on Reserve/PUP and may not have an immediate return to stadium action, it was a massive milestone to check off.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Holcomb admitted he was initially unsure if even returning to practice was possible.
“It was bad,” Holcomb said of his injury via the team website. “I know there was that question [of never playing again]. But they just told me, ‘If you go to work and you can come back, you can be good.'”
Holcomb suffered the devastating injury during a Thursday night game against the Tennessee Titans after colliding with teammate Keanu Neal while both were in coverage. Holcomb immediately grabbed his knee and was carted away, his season instantly over. Specifics of the injury weren’t fully revealed but a 13-month rehab signals something even more severe than an ACL tear.
It wasn’t until March there was a glimpse into his recovery. Cole Holcomb shared a video of him working out at well-known trainer Pete Bommarito’s’ facility, wearing a sleeve but no visible brace on his injured left leg. Though there was some optimism he could return for training camp, the Steelers reworked his contract, signaling that he would begin the year sidelined. Pittsburgh placed him on the PUP list, moving him to Reserve/PUP ahead of the regular season.
Holcomb returned to practice Tuesday, getting in a limited session typically defined as individual work with the rest of his position group. Long nights, lonely days, and a lot of questions just to get back to one practice. But one worth it for Holcomb, who used family as motivation when things got especially difficult.
“I love this game. I also just had a kid. They count on you, wife and kid,” Holcomb said, revealing his daughter was born June 28.
Pittsburgh served him well to stay engaged. Many teams won’t bring players on injured reserve on the road. Holcomb frequently travelled with the team, including for its most recent away game against the Baltimore Ravens. Being around teammates and feeling part of the team is key for injured players to stay engaged and continue pushing.
Returning to regular-season action this season could prove challenging. Pittsburgh may only have two more weeks before its season ends, a timeline potentially too quick for Holcomb to put on a helmet. Finding a role for him would also be challenging given the health and play of Patrick Queen, Elandon Roberts, and Payton Wilson. But those are questions to be pondered later. For the moment, Holcomb is back with teammates.
The Steelers might be on a losing streak but Holcomb? He’s winning big.
