It was a span of 646 days between NFL games for Pittsburgh Steelers veteran linebacker Cole Holcomb, but in his return to the field Saturday night against the Jacksonville Jaguars he looked largely like his old self.
After suffering a devastating knee injury in Week 9 of the 2023 season against the Tennessee Titans, Holcomb missed the rest of the 2023 season and all of the 2024 season.
Though he returned to Steelers practices late in the 2024 season and had his 21-day practice window opened for a potential return from Injured Reserve, Holcomb never saw game action. Coming into training camp this summer in Latrobe, there were no restrictions on Holcomb, and he impressed on the field at Saint Vincent College.
That carried over into the Steelers’ preseason opener against the Jaguars. Holcomb had one tackle and helped break up two passes in the 31-25 win, playing 24 snaps defensively.
Team captain and defensive leader Cameron Heyward was very happy to see Holcomb return and fly around the field. On the latest episode of Not Just Football with Cam Heyward he praised Holcomb for even getting back on the field in the first place.
“Cole flew around. To think about the injury he sustained just a year ago, and to watch him battle back and put in the work. Most guys would’ve retired by now, to be honest,” Heyward said, according to video via the show’s YouTube page. “And to see Cole out there, he looks better than ever. He’s feeling more confident, more comfortable. And he’s done it at a high level before.
“It’s not like he has to relearn a playbook or guess himself into thinking I’m ready for the NFL. He’s played in the NFL before too, so to watch him play now, it’s gonna be very beneficial. And I think we’re all just happy to see where he is at right now.”
Considering the severity of the injury and all that Holcomb had to do just to get back to being able to practice, it would have been understandable had he walked away from the game. But that was never his mentality.
He was driven to get back onto the field and return to the level of play he was before the injury, which had the Steelers thrilled to land him in free agency in an effort to address the position. Though he nows finds himself as ILB3 on the roster behind Patrick Queen and second-year pro Payton Wilson, Holcomb should have a key role for the Black and Gold this season.
Getting the chance to get back up to speed inside stadiums in the preseason will help him immensely. Against the Jaguars, he looked a step slow at times to process, which is entirely understandable, and he struggled to get off blocks in the run game early. But he made progress as the game went on and was also solid in coverage, which was encouraging.
It was a great step forward in Holcomb’s first game action in nearly two years. Based on his hard work this summer, how he looks physically and the praise he’s generating from teammates, there should be more positive steps forward in the near future.
Check out the full episode of Not Just Football with Cam Heyward below.
