Malik Harrison hasn’t even reached training camp, and his roster spot with the Pittsburgh Steelers already feels far from a lock.
The Steelers signed Harrison as a free agent in 2025, hoping he’d bring AFC North toughness, familiarity, and useful depth to the middle of the defense. His two-year, $10 million deal suggested a real role, not a fringe veteran fighting for summer snaps. After one season, though, the production didn’t quite match the price tag.
Harrison appeared in 11 games with nine starts, finishing with 41 combined tackles and two tackles for loss. Those numbers don’t exactly scream irreplaceable for a player carrying a $6.8 million cap charge in 2026.
Malik Harrison and Cole Holcomb could be battling for one Pittsburgh Steelers roster role
The complicating factor is Cole Holcomb. Pittsburgh re-signed Holcomb in March to a two-year, $5 million deal, a practical move for a defense trying to regain a more dependable identity in the middle.
Holcomb has dealt with serious injuries, so while the Steelers can’t treat him like a sure thing, his physical style and run-defense ability fit what this coaching staff wants from its inside linebackers. In limited action last season, he posted 24 tackles and a forced fumble, production that looks modest until you factor in his 198 snaps and the role he was asked to play.
If Holcomb proves healthy enough to handle rotational work, Pittsburgh may not need to keep two veteran linebackers with similar early-down responsibilities. Patrick Queen doesn’t seem to be going anywhere right now, and the Steelers will want flexibility for younger, cheaper players who can help on special teams.
Harrison was selected No. 98 by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2020 NFL Draft and arrived in Pittsburgh with the kind of divisional experience Mike Tomlin values. Familiarity only goes so far when a veteran’s contract starts to outweigh his on-field impact, and it’s Mike McCarthy’s show now.
Training camp will give Harrison a chance to change the narrative, but he’ll need to do more than look serviceable. He’ll need to battle to prove he’s worth keeping at his price -- because Holcomb’s return gives the Steelers a cheaper path to the same defensive role.
Add us as a preferred source on Google