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Cole Holcomb

T.J. Watt Aiming To Play Several More Seasons; Payton Wilson Moving Toward Steelers’ Starting Lineup

August 8th, 2025 at 10:06am CST by Sam Robinson

As the Steelers have another contract issue with Cameron Heyward, the other half of the team’s longstanding pass-rushing duo will attempt to follow his career path. T.J. Watt, the second member of the NFL’s $40MM-per-year defender club, is not aiming to call it quits in the near future.

Although T.J. Watt watched brother J.J. Watt retire at 33 due largely to a heart condition, the All-Pro Steelers defender does not plan on retiring anytime soon. The recently extended outside linebacker said (via the Pat McAfee Show’s Mark Kaboly) he will aim to follow Heyward’s path and play several more seasons.

Entering Year 9, Watt already appears to have done enough to secure Hall of Fame entry. The 2017 first-round pick is a four-time first-team All-Pro, matching Michael Strahan‘s official single-season sack record and doing so in just 15 games back in 2021. While J.J. Watt is the only player in NFL history to have two official 20-sack seasons, T.J. nearly landed there after following up his 22.5-sack slate with a 19-sack 2023. T.J. Watt is the only NFLer to lead the league in sacks three times.

Watt’s third contract — a three-year, $123MM deal with a whopping $108MM guaranteed at signing — runs through the 2028 season. Staying at, or even near, his current form will call for another record — or near-record — payday by 2028. The Steelers neither negotiate in-season or hammer out extensions for non-contract-year players; this complicates Heyward’s contract quest ahead of his age-36 season. Watt (31 in October), however, has been able to bend the team on post-Year 1 guarantees — a path the organization does not like to traverse.

In terms of official sacks (since 1982), T.J. Watt is already in 31st (108) on the list. He is 15 away from the top 20. Motoring to a lucrative fourth contract, provided he can stay close to the stratospheric pace he has started on, could move the Steeler sack ace onto hallowed ground. Tenth place (Richard Dent/John Randle) is less than 30 sacks away (137.5). The only active players ahead of Watt on the list are much closer to the end of their respective careers — Von Miller (129.5), Cameron Jordan (121.5), Calais Campbell (110.5).

Shifting to Pittsburgh’s inside linebacker position, Patrick Queen looks close to having a new full-time running mate. Payton Wilson, a 2024 third-round pick, appears likely to see his usage increase from the 45% snap share he earned as a rookie. The NC State product — the 2023 Butkus award winner — is believed to be “miles ahead” in the race to play alongside Queen, Kaboly adds. Wilson started four of 17 games last season.

The Steelers also have Cole Holcomb and Malik Harrison at linebacker, but neither is projected to be a regular option at this point. Holcomb signed with the team to work as such and had been a starter before a severe knee injury, sustained in November 2023, kept him off the field throughout 2024. After a pay-cut agreement, Holcomb is due a nonguaranteed $2MM this year. The Steelers can cut the former Washington starter free of charge until his salary becomes guaranteed shortly before Week 1.

Harrison started 34 games with the Ravens, including seven last season after he eventually became the team’s Queen replacement alongside Roquan Smith. The Ravens let Harrison walk, and the Steelers added him on a two-year, $10MM deal. Harrison, 27, figures to have a role. But Pro Football Focus, on the strength of Wilson’s coverage ability, graded him as a top-20 ILB as a rookie. PFF slotted Wilson as a top-10 off-ball LB in coverage. Harrison does stand to provide insurance against Wilson not ascending as the Steelers hope.

Pittsburgh cleared a path for Wilson by letting two-year ILB starter Elandon Roberts defect to Las Vegas in free agency. Wilson and Roberts, though, had effectively split time. The latter carried a 44% snap rate in 2024. Wilson, who entered the NFL after having suffered season-ending injuries twice in college, is signed through the 2027 season. His rookie-deal terms complement Watt, Queen and Alex Highsmith, and it appears this season will provide a test to see if he can handle a busier role.

NFL Restructures: Texans, Humphrey, Wirfs, Holcomb, Conklin

March 17th, 2025 at 12:16pm CST by Ely Allen

The Texans have restructured a number of deals in recent days to clear up some cap space for the 2025 league year.

First, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports that the team converted $12.33MM of Nico Collins‘ 2025 salary into a signing bonus and added two void years to the end of his deal. These moves opened of $9.86MM of cap space. Fellow wide receiver Christian Kirk also agreed to convert $14.33MM of his 2025 salary into a signing bonus while adding four void years to the end of his deal, freeing up $11.46MM of cap space, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2.

Pelissero also reported a restructuring on the defensive side of the ball, as outside linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair saw $7.83MM of his 2025 salary converted into a signing bonus with an additional void year added to the end of his deal. This last move created $6.26MM more of cap space.

Here are a few other restructured deals from around the NFL:

  • In Baltimore, Brian McFarland of RussellStreetReport.com detailed how the Ravens did a max restructure of cornerback Marlon Humphrey‘s contract. His $18MM base salary was reduced to the veteran minimum as $16.74MM was converted into a signing bonus. The team also added two void years to the end of his deal, ultimately opening up $13.39MM of cap space.
  • Per Greg Auman of FOX Sports, Buccaneers left tackle Tristan Wirfs agreed to a restructured deal that would see his $26MM base salary reduced to the veteran minimum with $24.83MM converted into a signing bonus. The move created $19.86MM of cap space.
  • Pelissero also reported on a restructured deal for Steelers linebacker Cole Holcomb. While details of the restructuring have yet to be released, we know the deal will clear $5MM of cap space, per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  • ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler brings us our final restructured deal of the day for Browns right tackle Jack Conklin. The revised contract reportedly removes a year — making Conklin a free agent in 2026, instead of 2027 — and pays him $10MM this year with $9MM in guarantees and $2MM available in incentives. Cap influences from this deal have not yet been reported.

Steelers’ Cole Holcomb, Roman Wilson, Logan Lee Return To Practice

December 31st, 2024 at 1:28pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Steelers could have reinforcements on both sides of the ball as early as Week 18. The team announced on Tuesday that linebacker Cole Holcomb, along with receiver Roman Wilson and defensive lineman Logan Lee have returned to practice.

In the case of all three players, they now have up to 21 days to practice before being activated. Holcomb is on the physically unable to perform list, while the two rookies are on injured reserve. Bringing back Wilson and Lee would therefore use up Pittsburgh’s remaining regular season IR activations, although all playoff teams receive an additional two return slots.

Holcomb was a key figure in the Steelers’ efforts to reset at the linebacker spot last offseason, signing a three-year, $18MM pact in free agency. The 28-year-old had a strong start to his Pittsburgh tenure, serving as a full-time starter through eight games and recording 54 tackles along the way. A major knee injury brought his campaign to an abrupt end, though, and it threatened to linger well into the current season.

To no surprise, Holcomb was moved to the PUP list during roster cutdowns, allowing him to continue rehabbing. An adjustment was made to his contract during the offseason with an injury split being added to lower his base pay in the event of a PUP stint (although additional guarantees were brought in to compensate). If Holcomb can return to the lineup in time for Saturday’s game against the Bengals or the wild-card round, his presence will be welcomed by a LB unit now led by Patrick Queen.

Wilson was added in the third round of April’s draft, and he faced expectations of serving as a complementary option in the passing game early in his career. The Michigan product’s debut did not come until October, though, and he has been on IR since making his only appearance to date. Pittsburgh has leaned heavily on George Pickens at the receiver spot, and the team also has trade acquisition Mike Williams in the fold. Wilson could compete with Calvin Austin for playing time in the slot once he is activated.

Lee was selected in the sixth round of the draft as depth along the defensive interior. The Iowa alum could step into a rotational role upon activation, although given his missed time it would come as a surprise if he were to see a notable workload this year. In any case, the Steelers will likely welcome multiple players into the fold at least in time for their upcoming postseason game.

Steelers Get Down To 53

August 27th, 2024 at 10:07pm CST by Ely Allen

The Steelers were able to get down to the required 53 players today with the following roster moves:

Released:

Waived:

Placed on IR:

Placed on IR (designated for return):

Placed on reserve/PUP list:

Holcomb, Cook, and Moon will be sitting out the first four games of 2024, at least. Watts is the only 2024 draft pick for Pittsburgh who will not be on the active roster to start the year. He and Welschof, one of only two of the team’s five undrafted free agent signees who weren’t waived by today, will miss the entire season.

West Virginia standout cornerback Beanie Bishop is the only undrafted rookie to make the 53-man roster. With Cameron Sutton starting out the year serving a suspension, Bishop could easily find his way into the starting nickelback role.

The Steelers are also coming into 2024 with a thin wide receiving corps. The only receivers on the active roster are George Pickens, Van Jefferson, rookie Roman Wilson, Scotty Miller, and Calvin Austin.

NFL Restructures: Thomas, Holcomb, Vikes

August 25th, 2024 at 9:52pm CST by Adam La Rose

Andrew Thomas landed a lucrative investment from the Giants last summer, and his extension has him on the books through 2029. A recent adjustment made to the pact freed up short-term spending power.

New York converted $4.18MM in 2024 base salary into a signing bonus, ESPN’s Field Yates notes. That move created $3.34MM in cap space available to be used during the final roster-building moves of the offseason or breathing space for during the year. The Giants were already in better cap shape than many teams, however, and the move leaves them with nearly $17MM in available funds – more than what will be needed for any one-year, low-cost deals given to free agents in the coming days.

As Dan Duggan of The Athletic notes, New York had the option of converting another $10MM into a signing bonus (and thus freeing up even more room). Teams often carve out the maximum breathing room possible when executing restructures, although such moves are generally made around free agency. Thomas’ cap number is set to jump to $19.92MM next year, but that figure will remain relatively flat throughout the rest of the pact.

Here are details on some other recent NFL restructures:

  • The Steelers reworked the contract of linebacker Cole Holcomb earlier this month. Pittsburgh added $3.1MM in guaranteed compensation, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. The contract includes a split, a provision which allows teams to lower the base pay of players if they land on IR or PUP. Holcomb, 28, went down with a knee injury midway through his debut Steelers campaign and is in danger of missing considerable time again in 2024. This move provides him with added locked in compensation should he manage to remain healthy this season, though. Holcomb’s original Pittsburgh pact, signed last spring, runs through 2025.
  • Josh Metellus has negotiated adjustments to his Vikings pact, as detailed by Wilson. Three void years (2026-28) were added to the contract, along with incentives totaling $5MM over the next two years – although $3.5MM of that figure has been deemed not likely to be earned. None of the 26-year-old’s overall pay (ranging from $1.23MM to $3.78MM) or cap figures ($2.01MM to $4.76MM) have changed as a result of this arrangement, though. As a result, Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune predicts further restructuring could take place in the future.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/24/24

July 24th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Wednesday’s minor transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Placed on active/NFI list: T Gottlieb Ayedze, WR Shaquan Davis
  • Placed on active/PUP list: S Sydney Brown

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

In New Orleans, Young has officially made the comeback from offseason neck surgery, passing his physical today alongside Olave, who is no stranger to offseason injuries.

Treadwell will join his eighth team in nine years after only making one catch in five games with the Ravens last season.

Brown is working his way back from an ACL tear that he suffered in the final game of his rookie season last year, so it’s no surprise that he will start the offseason on PUP.

Steelers LB Cole Holcomb In Danger Of Missing 2024 Season?

July 14th, 2024 at 3:13pm CST by Adam La Rose

Cole Holcomb proved to be an effective contributor following the Steelers’ efforts at reshaping their linebacking corps last offseason. The sixth-year veteran served as a full-time starter before his debut Pittsburgh campaign came to an abrupt end.

Holcomb suffered a major knee injury in November, shutting him down for the rest of the season. An update last month provided by Mark Kaboly of The Athletic indicated the 27-year-old was a likely candidate to begin the season on the reserve/PUP list. That designation would require at least a four-week absence to begin the season, but the latest on his situation is not encouraging.

Kaboly writes that any contributions the Steelers receive from Holcomb in 2024 “would be a bonus” (subscription required). That leaves open the possibility of the former fifth-rounder missing most or all of the campaign, a development which would be acutely felt at the second level of Pittsburgh’s defense. Holcomb signed a three-year, $18MM deal last spring and as such faced considerable expectations upon arrival. The former Commander racked up 54 tackles and a pair of forced fumbles across eight games with his new team prior to the injury.

Of course, the linebacker spot has received further attention from the Steelers in recent months. Pittsburgh signed Patrick Queen in free agency to provide a new face in the starting lineup. The team also added Payton Wilson in the third round of the draft. The NC State alum enters the league with injury concerns but high upside given his college production.

In addition to those two, Pittsburgh has the likes of Elandon Roberts and Mark Robinson in place at the LB spot. The former was also a 2023 free agent signing, and he logged a heavy workload in his debut Steelers season. Roberts totaled 101 tackles and 2.5 sacks, and he could reprise a starting role alongside Queen if Holcomb were to miss considerable time. Robinson primarily played on special teams last year, and further injuries on the depth chart would likely be needed for him to take on notable defensive responsibilities.

Once training camp opens, the Steelers will make a decision with respect to placing Holcomb on the active/PUP list. Players can be activated from there at any time, but it appears availability of any kind close to the start of the 2024 campaign (and perhaps well beyond that point) should not be expected.

Steelers DL Isaiahh Loudermilk On Roster Bubble?

June 29th, 2024 at 10:36am CST by Ben Levine

Isaiahh Loudermilk has seen an inconsistent role in Pittsburgh since being selected in the fifth round of the 2021 draft. With the defensive lineman being pushed even further down the depth chart this offseason, there’s a chance he doesn’t reach Week 1 with the Steelers. As Mark Kaboly of The Athletic writes, training camp may “force a decision on Loudermilk,” with the reporter hinting that the fourth-year pro could ultimately earn his walking papers.

The defensive lineman had a productive college career at Wisconsin, including a 2020 campaign where he earned third-team All-Big Ten honors. That production hasn’t translated to the pros, where Loudermilk has started only five of his 42 regular-season appearances. The six-foot-seven, 293-pound defensive tackle got into 29 percent of his team’s defensive snaps as a rookie, but that number fell to 19 percent in 2022 before bottoming out at 18 percent in 2023.

In total, the 26-year-old has collected 46 tackles and one sack, and he added another three stops to his resume in a pair of postseason appearances. Loudermilk has shown some talent on special teams, culminating in a 2023 campaign where he appeared in a career-high 82 ST snaps. Still, that might not be enough to save the player’s job heading into the 2024 campaign.

Cameron Heyward, Larry Ogunjobi, and Keeanu Benton are secure atop the DL depth chart. However, the Steelers have to start preparing for an uncertain future on their defensive line. As Kaboly notes, Heyward is set to hit free agency next offseason, and Ogunjobi will be an obvious cut candidate prior to the 2025 campaign.

Loudermilk’s impending free agency means he doesn’t have a definitive spot on future iterations of Pittsburgh’s roster, and the organization started to add some youth to the unit this offseason. The team used a sixth-round pick on Logan Lee, and assuming the rookie makes the roster, that would only leave a handful of DL spots for veteran backups. Loudermilk’s ST experience could give him a leg up in that competition, although there’s a chance the team opts for more recent draft picks like 2022 third-round pick DeMarvin Leal.

Elsewhere on Pittsburgh’s defense, it sounds like linebacker Cole Holcomb could begin the 2024 season on the physically unable to perform list. As Kaboly notes, the linebacker will only be eight months removed from a serious knee injury by the time training camp opens up, and the team could look to buy themselves some time by keeping him off the field for at least the first four games of the 2024 season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/6/23

November 6th, 2023 at 7:36pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Steelers LB Cole Holcomb To Undergo Season-Ending Knee Surgery

November 3rd, 2023 at 2:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

Cole Holcomb suffered a frightening knee injury in last night’s Steelers victory. As a result, the linebacker will see his debut season in Pittsburgh come to a premature end.

Holcomb was carted off the field in the first quarter after suffering the injury, one which head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed after the game was “serious.” He remained in hospital overnight but has since been discharged, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. Holcomb will nevertheless require surgery, Pelissero adds, and he will miss the remainder of the campaign as a result.

The 27-year-old was part of Pittsburgh’s renovations at the inside linebacker spot, signing a three-year, $18MM deal in free agency. That pact marked an end to Holcomb’s four-year run in Washington, despite the interest the Commanders had in retaining him. A starting spot and a healthy workload was provided upon arrival with the Steelers, as the former fifth-rounder logged a 77% snap share. He posted 54 tackles (tied for the team lead) and a pair of forced fumbles across eight games.

As a result, Holcomb’s loss will be acutely felt on a Pittsburgh defense which has already put up underwhelming numbers in several categories. The North Carolina product posted a career-best PFF grade of 72.2 in run defense for 2023, so his absence will deal a blow to a unit surrendering an average of 133 yards per game on the ground. The Steelers will rely more heavily on Elandon Roberts and Kwon Alexander, the other members of the team’s three-man rotation at the LB spot.

While that pair will be counted on to close out the season, Holcomb will turn his attention to the rehab process after his surgery. Fortunately, Pelissero adds that a full recovery is expected, but his ability to return to full health in time for 2024 will be crucial given his importance to the Steelers’ defense. Holcomb is due $6MM in each of the next two years, with scheduled cap hits of $7.64MM for both of those seasons.

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