Player: ILB Cole Holcomb
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: The Steelers designated Cole Holcomb for return from the PUP list yesterday, which was something of a surprise. While it’s unlikely they have plans for him this season, it gives him an opportunity to begin football activities. The Steelers already have three linebackers in their rotation, though Elandon Roberts is a free agent after this season.
The Steelers offered up some surprising new on Tuesday, the final day of the calendar year, designating ILB Cole Holcomb for return from the PUP list. While that doesn’t mean he’ll play again this season, it is an encouraging sign, nevertheless.
After all, the question was not when Holcomb will play again—it was if. Even he acknowledged that yesterday, so returning to practice is a key milestone. He is still under contract for the 2025 season, so if he can hit the ground running, he could be in line to return to action next year.
Of course, the Steelers didn’t sit idle since Holcomb’s gruesome knee injury in 2023. This offseason, they signed Patrick Queen in free agency and drafted Payton Wilson. Along with Elandon Roberts, they have manned the inside linebacker position.
But Cole Holcomb was a full-time, every-down player before his injury. He may not ever see that again with the Steelers if they like Queen and Wilson enough. But even getting back on the field is a major development for him right now.
Given his injury history, which was already concerning before signing with the Steelers in 2023, it’s unclear if there would even be much of a market for Holcomb. If he hopes to be a full-time starter again, he surely knows there is a long road ahead of him.
That starts with proving himself on the field again, which will take place with the Steelers. Whether that’s the 2025 season or even in one of the final games of this season, that is yet to be determined, at least as far as those on the outside can know. Holcomb acknowledged he doesn’t know himself whether he’ll ever be activated this year. But he’s not taking lightly the opportunity he has to move around a football field again.
As the season progresses, Steelers players’ stocks rise and fall. The nature of the evaluation differs with the time of year, with in-season considerations being more often short-term. Considerations in the offseason often have broader implications, particularly when players lose their jobs, or the team signs someone. This time of year is full of transactions, whether minor or major.
A bad game, a new contract, an injury, a promotion—any number of things affect a player’s value. Think of it as a stock on the market, based on speculation. You’ll feel better about a player after a good game, or worse after a bad one. Some stock updates are minor, while others are likely to be quite drastic, so bear in mind the degree. I’ll do my best to explain the nature of that in the reasoning section of each column.
