Steelers LB Cole Holcomb carted off field after scary injury vs Titans

Cole Holcomb will not return in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Thursday night matchup against the Tennessee Titans. The Steelers’ linebacker left the game with an apparent knee injury late in the first quarter.

Holcomb went down following a collision with Steelers safety Keanu Neal. The pair were chasing DeAndre Hopkins, following a pass from quarterback Will Levis. Evidently, the injury was gruesome.

“This is one of those injuries where we don’t need to show the replay,” Al Michaels said on the broadcast as Holcomb was carted off the field.

Damn, #Steelers LB Cole Holcomb is being carted off the field. pic.twitter.com/xTjTShTkHG

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) November 3, 2023

Holcomb posted two tackles in the game before leaving with an injury. The former North Carolina standout was off to a hot start in his first season with the Steelers. Through eight games, Holcomb boasted 52 tackles, the second-most on his team.

Holcomb joined the Steelers this offseason after spending the first four years of his career with the Washington Commanders. In four seasons with Washington, Holcomb amassed 388 tackles, 4.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, three interceptions, and one fumble recovery.

The Commanders drafted Holcomb with the No. 173 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Holcomb was spectacular at UNC. He led the team in tackles for three straight seasons, from 2016 to 2018. In 2016 and 2018, he racked up over 100 tackles and fell just short of that mark in 2017 (93 tackles).

Holcomb only turned up the heat for his senior campaign. In 2018, the 6-foot-1 LB earned second-team All-ACC honors after racking up 105 tackles, eight tackles for loss, four pass breakups, and four forced fumbles.

Mike Tomlin reveals game plan for Steelers

The Steelers will feel Holcomb’s absence. Ahead of the matchup, head coach Mike Tomlin revealed how the Steelers prepare for the Tennessee Titans’ ground game and, specifically, Derrick Henry.

“First thing, the collective approach is to keep him in close quarters where (the stiff arm) gets minimized. It doesn’t get used in close quarters,” Tomlin said. “You keep him out of open space is the No. 1 thing, but if he happens to get into open space and you’re in an individual one-on-one, that’s where you’re talking about the technical component. We actually work it.

“You identify skill-sets and traits that people have and how to combat it, and that is a tackling technique that you have to work. You have to knock the stiff arm down first, before you tackle. Obviously, you’re giving up yards while doing that, but that’s why it’s so critical to keep a guy like him out of open space and why his stiff arm is so lethal.”

This story will be updated.