Steelers A to Z: How much will Cole Holcomb be able to contribute after serious knee injury?

Experience/age: 6th season, turns 28 later this month

Contract status: $7.64 million cap hit in 2024, signed through 2025

The past: Despite his status as a mere fifth-round pick in 2019, Holcomb immediately became a starter for the then-Washington Redskins. He would remain so over all four seasons with the organization, joining a short list in the answer to the trivia question, “Name all whom started games under all three of the Washington NFL franchise’s names.” Holcomb also was the starter at left inside linebacker for the Football Team in 2020 and 2021, as well as for the Commanders in 2022. But it was during that final season for Washington in which Holcomb was limited to seven games. He had season-ending foot surgery in December 2022.

But that didn’t scare the Steelers away from signing him to a three-year, $18 million contract the ensuing March. And while Holcomb missed team drills during organized team activities and training camp, he was ready for the opening of training camp in Unity. He began the regular season as a starter who rarely left the field, playing more than 80% of the snaps over the first half of the season while accumulating 54 tackles (31 solo, four for loss), two QB hits, two passes defended, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

Holcomb had every bit the look of a man who was — at last — solving the Steelers’ desperate search for a reliable inside linebacker who could play in every situation. He teamed with Elandon Roberts and Kwon Alexander to form a formidable (if unspectacular) ILB trio… until November. That’s when Holcomb suffered a serious injury to his left knee during a win against the Tennessee Titans. He was out for the season.