Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Cole Holcomb endured a season-ending knee injury during Thursday night’s victorious showdown against the Tennessee Titans, as confirmed by a source within the league who spoke to ESPN. Holcomb, who had to be carted off the field during the first half, was discharged from a local hospital on Friday morning after a precautionary overnight stay. Fortunately, he is expected to make a complete recovery, according to ESPN’s source.
Holcomb’s unfortunate injury occurred when he was in coverage against Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. After Hopkins secured a catch, safety Keanu Neal moved in for the tackle, accidentally striking Holcomb’s knee during the follow-through. Holcomb immediately grabbed his left knee in agony, prompting the appearance of a cart, with his teammates providing support while medical personnel attended to the injury.
Reflecting on the incident, cornerback Patrick Peterson remarked, “It was a tough moment, but I could see he was in considerable pain when the injury happened. I was right there beside him. My only wish and prayer for Cole is a swift and complete recovery.”
As a pivotal figure in the Steelers’ 2023 free agency class and the revamped inside linebacker position, Holcomb had played in 77% of defensive snaps across eight games this season. With Holcomb sidelined, Elandon Roberts and Kwon Alexander assumed significantly increased playing time, and Alexander’s game-saving interception in the final minutes secured the victory.
“We’re all rallying behind Cole,” Alexander declared after the game. “We’re going to play in his honor for the remainder of the season.”
Holcomb, who began his professional career with the Washington Commanders, had accumulated two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, four tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, and 54 tackles in the ongoing season.
