On Monday, the Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan and head coach Mike Tomlin met with the media for the team’s annual pre-draft press conference. Khan and Tomlin addressed multiple points of interests with reporters as the team heads into the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday. One of those topics was the injury update, or lack thereof, on linebacker Cole Holcomb.
“I can tell you Cole [Holcomb’s] working extremely hard to get back,” Khan said to reporters. “I don’t really have much to add on the timeline. We’ve discussed this, it was a major injury but he is working hard and I’m optimistic about all the effort he’s going to put into getting back on the field.”
Holcomb was injured last season when chasing down Tennessee Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins when teammate Keanu Neal tackled Hopkins and swung around his body, colliding with Holcomb. Neal’s left leg impacted Holcomb’s left leg right below Holcomb’s knee, buckling it backward.
WATCH: Steelers Omar Khan, Mike Tomlin Pre-Draft Press Conference
Holcomb, a sixth-year linebacker out of North Carolina, joined the Steelers last March on a three-year, $18 million contract after spending his first four professional seasons in Washington. Through the first seven games of the 2023 season, Holcomb was second on the team with 52 tackles, and also had four tackles for loss, one quarterback hit, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and two passes defended.
At the time of the time, Holcomb was finally finding his footing in the Steelers’ defense and looked to be a starter at the position moving forward. Now, with the addition of Patrick Queen and the uncertainty surrounding Holcomb’s injury, the Steelers may just be moving forward without him.
“In terms to the depth [at inside linebacker], it is no different than the other [positions,]” Khan stated. “I hate to sound repetitive but if there is an opportunity to add competition and to improve a room, we are going to do it.”
It is unknown just when Holcomb will to return to the filed so heading into the new season, Queen and Elandon Roberts are the starting inside linebackers. Also, the team is doing their homework on inside linebacker prospects and hosted one on a pre-draft visit.
Nonetheless, don’t expect to see Holcomb on the field any time soon as he continues to work back from his leg injury.
