Losing another first-round playoff game was the worst possible outcome for a Pittsburgh Steelers team trying to reverse its run of losses in the postseason.

The 28-14 defeat at Baltimore, however, may have been the best thing for inside linebacker Cole Holcomb.

Holcomb was nearing a return from a devastating knee injury that cost him the final nine games of the 2023 season and all of 2024. Although he remained on the physically unable to perform list, Holcomb had returned to practice and was awaiting a call from coach Mike Tomlin that never came.

“I felt good,” he said. “Talking (now), it probably wouldn’t have been the best idea. I felt ready if they needed me. Mike T was like, ‘You look good.’ If they needed me, I would have been ready. They didn’t need me.”

The loss gave the 28-year-old linebacker a second offseason to continue recovering from an injury in which he suffered multiple ligament tears in his knee. Fully healthy as the Steelers began offseason workouts, Holcomb has been a regular participant at organized team activities this spring.

“It feels great,” Holcomb said Tuesday. “Looking back, you never know, one play can end your season. You take stuff for granted. Now, I’m soaking everything up, enjoying it and having fun out there.”

After being a three-down linebacker with Washington, he signed a three-year, $18 million contract with the Steelers before the 2023 season. He was a mainstay through the first eight games, playing 77% of all defensive snaps in a rotation with Elandon Roberts and Kwan Alexander.

When the Steelers open the 2025 season, Holcomb will be looking for a role at a position that includes Patrick Queen, who didn’t miss a snap last season, and second-year player Payton Wilson, who is looking to take on a bigger role in the defense. The Steelers didn’t retain Roberts in free agency.

“I got to know them pretty well last year,” Holcomb said. “I tried to stay as involved as I could. Now I’m playing with those guys, and it has been great. I get in where I fit in. I love the competition.”

Holcomb never thought his NFL career was over when he injured his knee in that Nov. 2, 2023 game against the Tennessee Titans. He heard talk from others, though, that he may never get back on the field.

“It was a serious injury. It was pretty gruesome,” he said. “They were emphasizing how important my rehab was going to be. If guys don’t take it seriously and don’t put the work in, you won’t make it back, but if you put the work in and do the extra stuff — you come every day, no matter how bad you don’t want to — you can come back from this stuff.”

Holcomb’s work ethic the past 18 months has earned admirers in the Steelers locker room, free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick being among them.

“He looks more chiseled and swollen than before he got hurt,” Fitzpatrick said. “That’s a testament to the type of dude he is. It’s a guy who had his tenure in this league and wants to come back and play at a high level. Much respect to him.

“Honestly, it’s an honor working with somebody who is fighting so hard to get back out there.”

Holcomb could have spent the 2024 season rehabilitating his injury in a warm-weather climate. He chose to remain in Pittsburgh and work out at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. He also attended team meetings and was on the sideline for games.

“It helped me being on the sidelines on game days and listening to the coaches talk and taking a step back,” he said. “On the field, you’re running the defense, you’re five yards from the line of scrimmage and can’t see much. Now, I’m 30 yards back, and I know what is going to happen. It’s easy to see that from back there. It’s seeing the forest through the trees. You step back and see the big picture.”

The Steelers kept Holcomb in their long-term plans rather than reach an injury settlement. After Holcomb collected the second year of his salary, the two sides reworked his contract for this season, giving the Steelers $4 million in salary cap relief.

“They gave me plenty of support,” he said. “They’ve done a great job. I’m very appreciative of what they’ve done taking care of me. They didn’t have to do that. I’m thankful to the organization.”

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