Everybody loves a good redemption story. It looks and feels great when a player who deserves that second chance gets a shot at proving their doubters wrong in grand fashion. For the Pittsburgh Steelers, they have their own redemption story brewing with Cole Holcomb.
The Steelers signed Holcomb a few seasons ago in hopes that he would stabilize their linebacker room. He had been a steady contributor in Washington before joining Pittsburgh.
His first season here was as expected. He was a good tackler, held his own in coverage, and provided some needed stability on defense. Unfortunately, he tore up his knee late in the season and never even got to play his second season with the team.
He seemed like an easy cut this offseason, given his health uncertainties. However, he decided to take a pay cut with the hope of earning a roster spot. He was mostly forgotten about, and many people assumed he wouldn’t have a real shot at making the team.
It looks like Cole Holcomb has healed, and the Pittsburgh Steelers must be thankful
By all accounts, Holcomb has looked like he never missed a beat with the team. He has been all over the defense so far and has looked like he was never even injured. While his path to regaining his starter spot likely isn’t there, he can be a good third linebacker for this defense.
We have seen the Steelers love their rotation and depth at linebacker as of late. This has allowed them to adjust to certain looks and combat team-specific strengths. While Holcomb isn’t as unique as some of the other rotational options in the past, he still provides a different skillset.
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Holcomb won’t see the level of snaps he saw in his first season before he was injured, but he can still contribute 30 percent of the snaps or so as a core reserve.
More importantly, if the injury bug were to strike the Steelers, Holcomb can take either spot and provide steady play. This should allow him to rebuild his value as well, given the fact that he didn’t get to play last year.
It is great to see Holcomb back and healthy, and he looks like he is ready to take on a significant role. So many fans counted him out because of his devastating injury. Just the fact that he is playing again is a great sign. Now, he has the chance to prove that he is still a capable defensive player in this league.