While the Pittsburgh Steelers returned three injured players to practice early this week, one has higher odds of getting back on the 53-man roster than the others. LB Cole Holcomb has the best chance of coming off his injured list, on Reserve/PUP all season due to a November 2023 knee injury.
Weighing in on the news of WR Roman Wilson, DL Logan Lee, and Holcomb hitting the practice field all week, Dulac sees Holcomb as the most likely player to make it all the way back.
“I don’t expect them to have an impact, but it’s possible we see them added to the 53-man roster, especially Cole Holcomb,” Dulac told KDKA’s Rich Walsh on the Steelers Kickoff show Saturday afternoon. “While their depth inside at inside linebacker is really good, Cole Holcomb, if nothing else, would give them fresh legs.”
Holcomb signed a three-year deal to be a starting inside linebacker last season as Pittsburgh traded out their room for new legs and names. He played well before tearing up his knee in a freak collision with S Keanu Neal. Hospitalized overnight, his season came to an immediate close, and he began the grueling rehab journey.
With a reworked contract to make his salary more manageable, Holcomb has spent the season on PUP. Even while practicing, he remains there, but the team has a chance to add him to the 53-man roster. Doing so would require a roster move, and given the unlikely nature of the team releasing one of their current inside linebackers, Pittsburgh would be heavy at the position with six.
Finding a role for Holcomb would prove challenging. Patrick Queen is the Steelers’ every-down linebacker, and though his play has been mixed, he’s not coming off the field. Elandon Roberts is an impressive thumper who brings energy and intensity, while Payton Wilson is a Holcomb-like replacement, a rangy linebacker with sideline-to-sideline speed. Holcomb could work on special teams but Tyler Matakevich and Mark Robinson cover the team’s bases, the latter forcing fumbles in two of his last three games.
Still, Dulac notes that Holcomb’s rehab and early practice returns have impressed the team.
“He’s looked very good. Very fast. So adding him to the roster is a possibility.”
Speaking to Bob Labriola in their weekly interview, Mike Tomlin left the door open for all three to return to the 53.
Limited throughout his first week back, Holcomb won’t play tonight against the Bengals. But it sounds like there’s a chance he could be activated ahead of the Wild Card game. Those odds still seem slim, but any injuries suffered tonight could open the door for Holcomb to complete his journey and make it all the way back to the roster.
