Editor’s note: From now until reporting day to training camp at Saint Vincent College, TribLive is running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, looking at each player and assessing his outlook for the 2025 season. The breakdown will run in alphabetical order with at least two players each day between June 12 and July 23. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.

ILB COLE HOLCOMB

Experience/age: Seventh season, turns 27 next month

Contract status: $3.46 million cap hit in 2025, after which will be an unrestricted free agent

The past: An immediate starter as a rookie fifth-round pick of the then-Washington Redskins in 2019, Holcomb remained atop the depth chart for that franchise through three name iterations before signing with the Steelers in unrestricted free agency during the spring of 2023. In a long line of attempts by the Steelers to find quality in the middle of their defense since the career-ending injury to Ryan Shazier in 2017, the early returns were positive for Holcomb. He played roughly 85% of the team’s defensive snaps the first seven-plus games of the 2023 season. But then on the third-to-last play of the first quarter of a Week 9 game at home against the Tennessee Titans, Holcomb suffered a significant knee injury that involved multiple ligament tears.

His season was over, and when nine months later Holcomb opened up training camp on the physically unable to perform list, there were whispers he might never play in the NFL again. But during the final week of the 2024 regular season, Holcomb was cleared to return to practice. Though he never did return to game action over what ended up a mere 11 days left in the season, Holcomb later said he was “ready” if the Steelers needed him during the playoffs.

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) June 3, 2025

2025 outlook: Holcomb was a regular participant at organized team activities and minicamp, signaling he should be poised to play this season. The Steelers did re-structure his contract this spring, indicating both that they expect Holcomb to be able to play but also that they are hedging that he might not be as impactful of a player as he was in the past.

The inside linebacker corps that Holcomb is rejoining is far different than the one he last played with. Gone are Elandon Roberts, Kwon Alexander and everyone else aside from special-teamer Mark Robinson. Since Holcomb’s injury, the team signed Patrick Queen to the biggest contract they’ve given to an external free agent. They also drafted Payton Wilson in the third round last year. Malik Harrison was signed this past March for $10 million over two years, and the Steelers drafted Carson Bruener in the seventh round in April.

Where does Holcomb fit in? His health will help answer that question. Is he the same player he was two years ago? Is he close? Will his snaps need to be limited/monitored?

The best bet is Holcomb slots in as a rotational, subpackage piece who plays behind Queen and Wilson. From where he was in the months after his injury, that’d be a remarkable story for Holcomb.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)