Steelers LB Cole Holcomb Accused of ‘Stealing Money’ Across Three Seasons in Pittsburgh

When the Pittsburgh Steelers signed linebacker Cole Holcomb to a three-year, $18 million deal in 2023 free agency, expectations were high that he would solidify the middle of their defense. Instead, his time in Pittsburgh has been defined far more by injuries than by production – leaving many fans now questioning whether the franchise essentially paid for nothing.

Holcomb’s career with the Steelers started with promise in 2023. He played in 8 games, recording 54 tackles and forcing 2 fumbles before suffering a devastating knee injury in Week 9 against the Tennessee Titans. The injury was described as “gruesome,” involving multiple torn ligaments, including the ACL, and required over a year of recovery. He missed the remainder of that season entirely.

The nightmare continued in 2024, when Holcomb was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list and never took the field. Pittsburgh played 17 regular-season games and a playoff matchup without him, leaving his $6 million annual salary looking like a sunk cost. For the entire year, he contributed nothing but rehab and limited late-season practice appearances.

By the start of 2025, Holcomb was finally back in uniform. Active in Week 1, he’s appeared in four games so far, logging 9 solo tackles and a forced fumble. While he is technically healthy, the Steelers have limited his snap counts in an effort to prevent another flare-up with his surgically repaired knee. He’s currently more of a rotational linebacker than the full-time starter Pittsburgh expected when they signed him.

Adding it up: over three seasons, Holcomb has been available in only 12 games out of a possible 42. That means the Steelers have already paid him millions for two seasons lost almost entirely to injury. Fans have taken to social media calling it a case of the team “stealing money from themselves,” arguing that Pittsburgh essentially wasted $18 million on a player who hasn’t lived up to expectations.

It’s not just the absence, it’s also the opportunity cost. By tying up significant cap space in Holcomb, the Steelers missed chances to strengthen depth at linebacker elsewhere. While his flashes of playmaking ability before the injury were legitimate, there’s no denying that his value has plummeted in the eyes of the fanbase.

For now, Holcomb remains on the roster, fighting to prove he can still contribute. But unless he can return to his pre-injury form, the Steelers’ gamble on him will go down as one of the more regrettable free agency moves in recent memory.