
Steelers LB Cole Holcomb describes difficult injury process — ready to compete in 2025
Steelers LB Cole Holcomb is finally healthy after suffering a devastating knee injury back in 2023.
At Steelers OTAs on Tuesday, Holcomb explained how difficult it was being sidelined (courtesy of Steelers Live):
"Yeah, it's hard — I'm a pretty impatient person. Definitely had some days where you just want to be out there and it's frustrating — but it's kind of just one of those take it one day at a time."
Holcomb then touched on how the state of the linebacker room has changed since his injury — and how he fits into the group:
"I got to know [Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson] pretty well last year. I tried to stay as involved as I could. Now, being able to come out here and play with those guys has been great. Just trying to get in where I fit in — love the competition. I love competing, so it's been great."
If Holcomb can effectively rotate with Wilson and Queen on defense, the Steelers may very well have the best inside linebacker unit in the NFL.
For up-to-date Steelers coverage, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


USA Today
11 minutes ago
- USA Today
New Steelers CB Jalen Ramsey already taking reps at safety at training camp
New #Steelers DB Jalen Ramsey is working with the safeties with the DB groups split on day one. Thursday was the first practice of Pittsburgh Steelers' training camp. The Steelers have a ton of new faces this camp, more so than any other time during head coach Mike Tomlin's tenure with the Steelers. One of those new faces is cornerback Jalen Ramsey. One of the reasons Pittsburgh acquired the All-Pro is the level of position versatility he offers and it only took one practice for the Steelers to put that to the test. Ramsey started the practice with the cornerbacks, as you can see from the video below, where Ramsey was also working drills with the safety group. Tomlin said in his training camp press conference that he plans to have Ramsey, Darius Slay, and Joey Porter Jr. on the field all the time, regardless of personnel grouping. It would stand to reason that someone is going to be a de facto safety, and among the three, Ramsey is best suited for the position. The need for a new safety stems from the trade that brought Ramsey. Pittsburgh traded All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith.

USA Today
11 minutes ago
- USA Today
Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers' first pass intercepted by Pro Bowl defender at training camp
New Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers' first pass of the team period didn't go as planned — it was intercepted by two-time Pro Bowl LB Patrick Queen. According to PennLive's Nick Farabaugh, Rodgers attempted a pass to star WR DK Metcalf but was picked off by Queen — leading to a loud reaction from the defense and Steelers fans alike. This speaks to the success of the re-tooled Steelers defense, as Rodgers doesn't typically throw many interceptions — having topped 10 in a season just four times in his 20-year career. Still, it's far from an ideal way to kick off training camp — and you know the defense is letting him hear it. Here's to hoping this isn't a sign of things to come — and he's simply feeling the first-camp jitters after making the historic walk down to practice at Saint Vincent College. For up-to-date Steelers coverage, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.


NBC Sports
12 minutes ago
- NBC Sports
2025 San Francisco 49ers Fantasy Preview: A shifting skill position landscape?
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan runs a fantasy-friendly, balanced offense that features motion, targeting the center of the field and an efficient rushing attack. The 2024 49ers banked top-12 finishes in EPA per play (0.06), success rate (46.0 percent), plays with motion (654), centerfield targets (96) and EPA per rushing attempt (-0.057). Fantasy managers should again rely on Shanahan and his unwavering commitment to the system in 2025. 2024 San Francisco 49ers Stats (rank) Points per game: 22.9 (14th) Total yards per game: 376.3 (4th) Plays per game: 60.4 (27th) Dropbacks per game: 38.6 (21st) Dropback EPA per play: 0.14 (9th) Rush attempts per game: 26.9 (15th) Rush EPA per play: -0.06 (12th) Can Brock Purdy return to the QB1 ranks? Brock Purdy recently secured a five-year, $265 million contract extension that includes a half-decade no-trade clause, tying him with Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff for the seventh-highest salary in average annual value ($53 million). The 49ers' passing attack notched ninth-place finishes in both EPA per dropback (0.143) and dropback success rate (50.0 percent) last season. While Purdy's talented and deep receiving corps contains more availability concerns than it has in years past, this remains a fantasy-friendly unit. Passing Game QB: Brock Purdy, Joshua Dobbs WR: Brandon Aiyuk, Demarcus Robinson WR: Jauan Jennings, Jacob Cowing WR: Ricky Pearsall, Jordan Watkins TE: George Kittle, Luke Farrell Purdy's pass-catching corps is chock-full of talented players, though five of the top-six wide receivers carry at least mild availability concerns. The 49ers recently placed No. 1 wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk on the active/physically unable to perform list (PUP) as he recovers from ACL and MCL tears suffered in Week 7. He remains a candidate for the in-season reserve/PUP list, which would require him to miss at least four games. The team's No. 2 wide receiver Jauan Jennings requested a new contract after his 2024 breakout campaign, catching 77-of-111 targets for 975 yards and six touchdowns. Second-year wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was placed on the active/PUP list on July 18th, nursing a hamstring strain suffered on May 29th. His injury history includes a prior hamstring strain, a shoulder injury and a gunshot wound to the chest. No. 4 wide receiver Demarcus Robinson awaits a potential suspension after pleading no contest to a DUI charge. Should one of the three wide receiver above him miss time, he would garner WR5/6 consideration. No. 5 wide receiver Jacob Cowing recently strained his hamstring. His return-to-play date is unknown, though Cowing has failed to prove himself fantasy-relevant through two NFL seasons. Between training camp and the preseason, healthy NFL players are afforded a six-week-plus ramp-up period to prepare their bodies for regular season rigors. Last year, Aiyuk sat out spring practices, training camp and preseason play before signing a lucrative extension on August 29th. He experienced a 0.91-yard decline (1.74) from the 2.65 yards per route run (YPRR) he averaged in 2023 before suffering the double-ligament injury on October 20th. Should Aiyuk return from reserve/PUP in Week 5, he will likely require a multi-week ramp-up period before (hopefully) returning to to the high-end WR2 form that he maintained in 2022 and 2023. Jennings is currently practicing despite the raise request, putting him on track to assume de facto No. 1 wide receiver duties if Aiyuk is unready in Week 1. Shanahan told reporters that Pearsall is currently participating in conditioning testing. He expects Pearsall to resume practicing with the team on Sunday, July 27th, giving fantasy managers a checkable benchmark. Jennings (67.6 percent perimeter rate, 32.4 percent slot rate) and Pearsall (68.3 percent perimeter rate, 31.7 percent slot rate) were used interchangeably in the season's final three weeks last year while tying tight end George Kittle for a team-high 18 receptions. Jennings averaged 1.70 YPRR while Pearsall broke out via 2.17 YPRR. Assuming good late-season health for Aiyuk, Jennings and Pearsall, it is prudent to expect near-even target distribution, potentially clumping all three in the WR3/flex range. Aggravating variance will occur. Pearsall, perhaps quietly, offers the highest upside as the ascending, young player. Kittle is the pass-catching corps' most reliable fantasy option, boasting five combined All-Pro accolades over his eight pro seasons. Among his position's top-12 target earners across the full 2024 NFL season, Kittle's 2.62 YPRR astonishingly led the pack by 0.48 yards. Treat him accordingly. Unlike the 49ers' other rookies, fourth-round wide receiver Jordan Watkins had a 'prominent role' during voluntary organized team activities (OTAs) and drew 'guarded praise' from Shanahan for his showing at mandatory minicamp. Watkins should not be expected to have a fantasy-relevant role in year one, but his positive progress is noteworthy. Jumping from sixth to fourth on the depth chart before Week 1 is at least possible. The former Ole Miss player averaged 2.54 YPRR in his final college season. Watkins must be rostered in dynasty formats. If San Francisco's pass-catchers are getting open, Purdy will find them. Among 32 NFL quarterbacks with at least 300 dropbacks last year, he ranks 11th in PFF's accuracy-plus rating (16.8 percent) and third in yards per passing attempt (8.5). Given the pass-catching corps' fluid status, Purdy's rushing upside may currently be underrated. He notched career-highs in rushes (66), yards after contact per attempt (2.47), missed tackles forced (12) and explosive runs (12) in 2024. Among 18 quarterbacks with at least 10 red zone rushing attempts across the full season, Purdy tied for a league-best 60.0 percent first-down and/or touchdown conversion rate. His 82.4 PFF red zone rushing grade ranks second. Purdy finished as 2024's QB14, totaling nine weekly finishes as the QB4-QB11 last year, including four finishes ranking QB4-QB5. He should be treated as a high-floor QB1 with mid-tier upside. Running Game RB: Christian McCaffrey, Isaac Guerendo, Jordan James, Patrick Taylor Jr., Corey Kiner OL (L-R): Trent Williams, Ben Bartch, Jake Brendel, Dominick Puni, Colton McKivitz While veteran left tackle Trent Williams protects Purdy's blindside, second-year right guard Dominick Puni grades roads on the right. His 81.5 PFF run-blocking grade ranks fifth among NFL right guards with at least 460 offensive blocking snaps. On paper, running back Christian McCaffrey is an RB1. The 29-year-old running back has access to a high-volume, dual-threat workload, aided by Shanahan's schematic efficiencies; McCaffrey's backups combined for six RB1 finishes in his 13 missed games. Backup running back Isaac Guerendo elevates to the No. 2 role, with Jordan Mason now a Minnesota Viking. Last year, fantasy managers largely ignored McCaffrey's season-to-season recurrence risk regarding his late-2023 calf strain despite August 2024 reports indicating the strain had returned, leading to Achilles tendinitis along the way. The tendinitis later blossomed into a bilateral issue. McCaffrey then suffered a season-ending PCL sprain in Week 13. He is currently healthy and as long as he remains so, he can be expected to return RB1 value. Although he averaged a career-low 0.1 missed tackles forced per rushing attempt last year, he was an efficient pass catcher, averaging 1.60 YPRR, ranking fifth among 54 NFL running backs with at least 19 targets. The 49ers are seemingly taking a conservative approach to injury management this summer, which bodes positively for McCaffrey's season-long availability. His current, late-first-round PPR ADP is slightly aggressive, albeit understandable given his upside. Fantasy managers should consider McCaffrey an overall RB1 contender while acknowledging one's chosen increased risk exposure. Guerendo (6-foot-1, 225 pounds, 4.33-second 40-yard dash) is a speedy, imposing rusher and receiver, who quietly averaged 1.42 YPRR, catching 15-of-16 targets for 152 yards last year. He is an elite bellcow backup. Fifth-round rookie running back Jordan James should be rostered in dynasty formats and is a name to know in re-draft, should injuries occur. Rotoworld Staff, 2025 San Francisco 49ers Win Total Vegas currently has the 49ers' win total installed at 10.5, making them one of just six teams sitting in double-digits. Both Warren Sharp and PFF chart them as having the NFL's softest schedule. PFF forecasts a 10-win season, again making them one of just six teams sitting at double-digits in this respective category. A scenario exists where roster-wide availability concerns flare, but Shanahan's scheming, coupled with a dependably soft schedule, keeps their chances of hitting the over intact. Chris Simms dives into why San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy falls into the "Scheme Dream" tier of his 2025 QB Countdown.