Cole Holcomb Could Define Steelers Season

After a devastating knee injury in 2023, Cole Holcomb is healthy and ready to contribute to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Super Bowl pursuit in 2025. It’s been a long and trying road for the former fifth-round pick, but his return is a personal triumph and the reason why the Steelers are confident about the middle of their defense.

The return of Holcomb will be a defining piece of the Steelers’ season. He barely had a chance to show what he could do during his debut season in Pittsburgh, sustaining that knee injury just eight games into the season. The league and fans watching might have forgotten the player he was, but if he's still that player, they have a starting caliber linebacker joining the rotation. In those eight games in a Steelers' uniform, he managed 54 total tackles, 31 of which were recorded individually. The man was a tackling machine and impact player.

What made Holcomb so impressive was his explosive athleticism. He was able to keep up with the athletic quarterbacks in the AFC North, making him such an ideal fit within the Steelers’ defense. He could stop the run, pick up a tight end in quick coverage, or spy the QB and stick with him if he broke the pocket.

The question now, and one that could define the entire season is how healthy will Holcomb remain? A knee injury like the one he suffered could have ended his NFL career. It’s fair to wonder if his explosiveness, mobility or overall athleticism have been permanently impacted.

Holcomb was recently named a cut candidate for the Steelers, but that feels like a shot in the dark and nothing more. For the first time in years, they have a middle line backing group that is formidable and possesses depth. Holcomb is a critical piece of that equation, alongside Patrick Queen, Peyton Wilson, free-agent signing Malik Harrison and recent draft pick Carson Bruener. For a team that's longed for stability at the MLB position since the career-ending injury Ryan Shazier suffered, why would they remove options and create more of an issue by cutting Holcomb? It makes no sense.

The Steelers want and need Holcomb back to be successful throughout the season. The duo of Queen and Wilson are likely to earn the starting duo on the inside, but Holcomb will give the second-year Wilson a run for his money. And that’s a great thing. The better the depth and competition for spots, the better, as the Steelers attempt an unlikely championship run.