Steelers Have A "Special Circumstance" That Could Affect Roster Building In 2025

The Pittsburgh Steelers have made a lot of changes to the roster over the last several years, and that is largely due to General Manager Omar Khan being more aggressive than Kevin Colbert was in the later stages of his tenure in Pittsburgh. Going into the 2023 season, it was obvious that the Steelers had to do something at the inside linebacker position. The organization signed Elandon Roberts, Cole Holcomb, and Kwon Alexander. The trio played well, but both Holcomb and Alexander went down with serious injuries that caused them to miss the end of the season.

Those three signings were the first step in improving the inside linebacker room. In 2024, the organization went out and signed Patrick Queen, while drafting Payton Wilson. Both players seem like they will be in Pittsburgh for a while, and the other linebacker that was on the field the most for Pittsburgh in 2024 was Roberts. Holcomb missed the entire 2024 season as he continued to recover from the gruesome knee injury he suffered against the Tennessee Titans in 2023. 

The inside linebacker is signed through 2025, and the Steelers could save approximately $6 million by releasing the veteran defender. However, team insider Ray Fittipaldo doesn't think it is that simple. He shared on the North Shore Drive Podcast that he believes Holcomb is a bit of a special circumstance.

"Cole Holcomb is maybe a little bit of a special circumstance," Fittipaldo said. "I think you could save yourself around $6 million there. I think you can do that in a way, though, where you cut him and you bring him back on an adjusted salary. So, you might not recoup the entire $6 million there, but I do think that's another move that can be had as well."

Holcomb has not been able to play football in approximately a year and a half, but when he went down with his knee injury, he was leading the team in total tackles. He is an efficient and reliable defender when healthy, so if the Steelers have a way to keep him for a cheaper price, the organization should. Essentially, Fittipaldo is suggesting that Holcomb would be taking a pay cut, as the move would basically just lower his cap hit from $7.64 million for the 2025 season. Holcomb already restructured his deal during the 2024 season, but hopefully another move can be made to keep him with the Steelers in 2025.

Holcomb's future in Pittsburgh will likely play a part in some other decisions the organization has to make during the 2025 offseason as well. Roberts is scheduled to be a free agent, and it is very unlikely Holcomb and Roberts are both on the roster in 2025. Wilson and Queen will likely be the top-two inside linebackers, while whoever remains in Pittsburgh between Holcomb and Roberts would be the third option. 

The Steelers from just a few years ago had so many issues with the inside linebacker position, and now there is an abundance of talent at the position in Pittsburgh. It is a good problem to have, no matter what the final result might be.

Steelers Will Look To See If Holcomb Can Return To His Old Form

Holcomb played and started in eight games with the Steelers during the 2023 season, and the inside linebacker recorded 54 total tackles and two forced fumbles. He was playing like one of the better players on the defense, and seeing him go down halfway through the year was a tough sight to see. A large portion of the fan base is hoping the organization finds a way to keep Holcomb around in 2025, as a player should never lose their job to injury. 

It will be interesting to see how the organization treats this situation. Hopefully, some sort of new deal is worked out to keep Holcomb in Pittsburgh at a lower price.

What do you want the Steelers to do with Holcomb? Let us know in the comments below!

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