Pittsburgh Steelers insider and veteran beat reporter Mark Kaboly published a mailbag on November 25, answering a long list of questions from fans. Two revolved around long-lost injury absences.
“Can we anticipate [linebacker] Cole Holcomb coming back at all this year?” One Steelers supporter asked Kaboly. The response didn’t instill much confidence.
“I haven’t inquired but I wouldn’t hold my breath on it,” Kaboly replied. Similarly, he doesn’t expect to see rookie wide receiver Roman Wilson for the remainder of the 2024 campaign either.
“I find it hard to believe that [Wilson] will play [again this year],” Kaboly told a different Pittsburgh fan. “I look at it as a red shirt year for Wilson. He looks fine to me out there working out with the other injured players, but you never know. To me, the lack of reps as a rookie and overcoming two injuries is too much to ask out of him for this year.”
The Steelers have rolled to a record of 8-3 without Holcomb and Wilson, and head coach Mike Tomlin has already made it clear that he’d rather not force players back into the rotation after long periods of inactivity.
“It is very difficult to get on a moving train,” Tomlin said of Wilson on September 24, after his initial preseason injury. That statement likely holds even more weight now, being that the Steelers are entering a very crucial final stretch of games.
Feels Like Steelers’ Cole Holcomb Has Been Placed in ‘Witness Protection’
Holcomb’s recovery from knee surgery has been bizarre. In June, Tomlin confirmed that the veteran defender was “on track” for training camp, yet here we are approaching Thanksgiving and there has been zero sign of the linebacker.
Steelers Now beat reporter Alan Saunders joked that Holcomb looked as if Pittsburgh placed him in “witness protection” while he watched from the sidelines on September 22.
Later, on October 23, Saunders posted a photo of Holcomb at practice.
“Cole Holcomb still has a sleeve on his left knee,” Saunders updated at the time. “He’s among the big group of Steelers that could return after the bye. His shirt says ‘don’t care work harder.’”
No one seems to know where Holcomb has gone, or if he’s suffered some sort of setback. After all, the Steelers have been well-stocked at middle linebacker with Patrick Queen, Elandon Roberts and rookie Payton Wilson all joining the organization over the past two seasons.
Still, most around the Steelers community appear to feel for Holcomb, hoping he finds his way back.
“Seems like every other month optimism turns to pessimism and vice versa in Cole Holcomb’s knee recovery,” Pennsylvania journalist Michael Beck aptly noted on November 8. “Not sure if we will see him back in game action this year but really hope to see him play again.”
It’s Time to Acknowledge Roman Wilson Won’t Improve Steelers Offense in 2024
As for Roman Wilson, the highly touted rookie playmaker is trending toward a year two impact.
The Steelers have not been subtle about taking a slow approach when it comes to developing Wilson, and with the way Mike Williams has been eased into the offense since the trade deadline, there’s little chance that the rookie ever logs meaningful snaps in 2024 — barring several injuries.
Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith appear to have a clear pecking order at wide receiver. George Pickens leads the way, but Van Jefferson and Calvin Austin III have done enough to earn their keep.
After that, Williams, Ben Skowronek and Scotty Miller all offer more experience than Wilson, rounding out the group — not to mention a trusted practice squad promotion like Brandon Johnson. Even if Wilson gets himself healthy, Kaboly clearly doesn’t expect his usage to change anytime soon, and the Steelers have given no inclination that it would.
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