Inside linebacker Cole Holcomb leads trio of injured-list Steelers returning to practice

Cole Holcomb endured the solitude of a lonely rehabilitation from knee surgery — the details of which he wouldn’t divulge — so his return Tuesday to practice with the Pittsburgh Steelers was a major moment.

“I felt like a little kid on the first day of school,” Holcomb said. “I had all the emotions – anxious, nervous, excited, all of it. Once we got going, I was like, ‘All right. We’re good.’ I was just happy to be out there, running around.”

A former starter with Washington, the veteran inside linebacker signed a three-year, $18 million free-agent contract with the Steelers in March 2023 but played only eight games before suffering a major knee injury against Tennessee on Nov. 2, 2023. He underwent surgery, missed the rest of the season and was placed on the PUP list when training camp opened in July.

The Steelers have since signed Patrick Queen to a $41 million free-agent contract and drafted Payton Wilson in the third round in addition to keeping veteran Elandon Roberts at Holcomb’s position.

“I wasn’t thinking about that,” Holcomb said. “This is a business. They’ve got to do what they’ve got to do. It was just me competing with me.”

Holcomb said the birth of his daughter, Morgan James on June 28, provided all the motivation he needed to complete his comeback.

“Shoot, I love this game. Also, I just had a kid. They’re counting on you, the wife and kid,” Holcomb said. “That definitely changed the way you think, your outlook.”

Holcomb is one of three players the Steelers cleared for practice three players who remain off the active roster. He was joined by a pair of rookies in wide receiver Roman Wilson and defensive lineman Logan Lee as those who joined Tuesday’s practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. Wilson was a full participant, while Holcomb and Lee were limited participants.

Holcomb remains on the physically unable to perform list and Lee and Wilson are still on injured reserve. That they returned to practice by rule opens up a 21-day window during which each must be added to the 53-man active roster or they are officially out for the season.

The Steelers play their regular-season finale Saturday against the Cincinnati Bengals but will open up in the wild-card playoff round the following weekend. If they keep winning, the 21-day window would expire the Tuesday in advance of the AFC championship game. The Steelers, if they so choose, are free to activate any of the players at any point before that.

That is unlikely, though, barring attrition at one of their respective position groups.

Selected in the third round by the Steelers (14 picks prior to Payton Wilson), Roman Wilson was coming off a national championship season at Michigan. Despite an obvious need at receiver, Wilson has played just one game and five offensive snaps this season. That in part was because of an ankle injury that significantly limited his practice time during training camp.

Even after Wilson was medically cleared, he was a healthy scratch for games. On Oct., 28, the Steelers put him on IR because of a hamstring injury.

Lee went on IR during Week 1, listed because of a calf injury. A sixth-round pick out of Iowa, Lee projects as a depth piece on the defensive line.

“I’m just trying to stay prepared,” Lee said. “I’ve been working out really hard for 19 weeks now, so it’s really fun to be able to try to get the pads on. A little out of control right now but I feel really good.

“I think it’s huge to be able to have a few weeks to get some practice in, as well. It’s always good to be able to work on the fundamentals. When you’re out and on the sideline, you’re only hitting bags that don’t move. When people start moving, it changes things a little bit and makes it a lot more fun.”

Notable for not being part of the group of players who returned to practice Tuesday was rookie offensive tackle Troy Fautanu, who has been spotted more often at the facility in recent days. The Steelers’ first-round pick in April, Fautanu went on IR on Sept. 21 after suffering a knee injury during practice.

At the point of the injury, it was widely understood that the timetable for Fautanu’s injury allowed that he perhaps could return in time for the playoffs. That Fautanu was not included with the two other IR rookies suggests that is not likely close to happening.

Meantime, Holcomb has continued his rehab in Pittsburgh, frequently spotted working out on his own at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. He has no idea when he’ll be ready to return for a game, whether it’s Saturday’s season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals or in the playoffs, but served as inspiration to his teammates.

“It’s been awesome. I saw him suit up in pads before practice, and I was like, ‘Yeah Cole,’ because I know he’s been through a lot, man,” Steelers outside linebacker Alex Highsmith said. “He’s worked so hard over this past year just to get back on the field so it’s awesome seeing him back out there because of how gruesome his injury was and just to see just how hard he’s worked and everything he’s done. So just seeing him back out there on the field, it’s just awesome. Anyone you know who has had such a bad injury of some sort, just seeing him back out there doing what they love is awesome to see.”