Steelers Now
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Cole Holcomb opens about his long road to recovery after suffering a serious knee injury in 2023.
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Cole Holcomb has been a full go at practice for the first time since suffering a serious knee injury halfway through the 2023 season. He reflected on just how long of a journey it’s been on Tuesday.
“It was a serious injury. I’m pretty sure you all saw it. It was pretty gruesome,” Holcomb said. “They were basically emphasizing how important the rehab was gonna be. If guys don’t take it as serious and they don’t put the work in, they won’t be able to make it back. If you put the work in, you do the extra stuff, you come every day, no matter how bad you don’t want to, you can come back from this.”
That’s exactly what Holcomb did, despite it taking a little longer than he would have liked. Holcomb revealed he felt good enough to play at the end of last season.
“I felt good. Probably wouldn’t have been the best idea, but I felt ready if they needed me,” Holcomb said. “Been working hard to come back, and it’s been a long road. I felt like I’m picking up where I left off.”
The Steelers will be thankful for their patience if that is the case. Holcomb was playing some of the best football of his career before he went down, recording 54 tackles (31 solo), two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and two passes defensed in eight games.
However, Pittsburgh’s inside linebacker room has also undergone a lot of change since Holcomb was last on the field. The team added Patrick Queen in free agency and used a third-round pick on Payton Wilson in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Both players are in line to have big roles in the Steelers’ defense this season, but Holcomb is excited to see where he fits best, too.
“I got to know them pretty well last year. I tried to stay as involved as I could,” Holcomb said. “Being able to come out and play with those guys has been great. Just trying to get in where I fit in. Love the competition.”
Only time will tell if Holcomb can carve out a role for himself in Pittsburgh’s star-studded defense, but he is just happy to be back on the football field after his long road to recovery.
“It feels great,” Holcomb said. “Looking back, like you never know one play can end your season. You take stuff for granted, so now I’m just soaking everything up, enjoying it, having fun out there.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers LB Cole Holcomb Reflects on Gruesome Injury: ‘It’s Been a Long Road’
