Cole Holcomb’s Knee Injury Could Be Something More Serious

In a recent appearance on the Adam and Gold Show, ESPN’s Brooke Pryor revealed that Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Cole Holcomb’s season-ending knee injury suffered last season could be something more serious.

“My understanding is it’s not just a simple ACL tear and they’re being very vague on what the specific injury is,” Pryor said.

Pryor indicates that’s why the Steelers invested a third-round pick on North Carolina State linebacker Payton Wilson in the draft.

“I think this is in some ways insurance for the Cole Holcomb signing and gives them a starting-caliber inside linebacker to play when the season gets started, because Holcomb’s recovery timeline isn’t quite clear,” Pryor said.

Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette also expressed similar concerns on Holcomb.

“No, the Steelers have not provided any kind of a timeline for Holcomb’s return. Based on their moves in free agency and the draft, I am betting they are not counting on much of a contribution from Holcomb this season, if at all. They signed Patrick Queen to the richest free agent deal in franchise history and selected Payton Wilson in the third round of the draft. Plus, Elandon Roberts is back for another season,” Fittipaldo wrote in a recent Q&A.

Holcomb needed surgery on his knee. But Holcomb did post a video of himself working out and it seems that he is improving. But Mike Tomlin said at the NFL owner’s meetings in Orlando in late March that he still does not have a definitive update on him.

“He just had a checkup a few weeks back and it was a favorable one, but I don’t have any details about calendar from a calendar perspective or levels of availability and when I still think we are decent ways out and I’d be speculating,” Tomlin said.

Holcomb was chasing down Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins in the second quarter of that game when teammate Keanu Neal tackled Hopkins and swung around his body. Neal’s left leg impacted Holcomb’s left leg right below Holcomb’s knee, buckling it backward.

Holcomb, 27, is a fifth-year linebacker out of North Carolina. After spending his first four seasons in Washington, he joined the Steelers last March on a three-year free-agent contract.

Through seven games, 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. But moving forward, it is unknown just when he will be ready to return to the filed.