Steelers place linebacker Cole Holcomb on injured reserve
(KDKA/AP) — Cole Holcomb's season is over.
The Pittsburgh Steelers placed the veteran inside linebacker on injured reserve on Monday, four days after Holcomb sustained a serious left knee injury in the first half of a 20-16 win over Tennessee.
Holcomb was hurt when Steelers safety Keanu Neal slammed into Holcomb's left leg while both were attempting to tackle Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Holcomb lay on the Acrisure Stadium turf for several minutes before being taken off on a medical cart.
He finished the game with 2 tackles.
The 27-year-old Holcomb, who signed with the Steelers in the offseason after beginning his career with Washington, had 54 tackles and a fumble recovery in eight games with Pittsburgh this season.
Holcomb's absence means Mark Robinson, a seventh-round pick in 2022 who has played sparingly this season, will take on a larger role down the stretch for Pittsburgh (5-3), which plays on Sunday against Green Bay (3-5) at Acrisure Stadium. The inside linebacker was drafted in the fifth round of the 2019 draft out of North Carolina.
Holcomb's spot on the roster was filled by running back Anthony McFarland Jr. The club activated McFarland off injured reserve on Monday.
"Mentally and physically, I feel good, ready to go," he said, according to steelers.com. "It felt good. I am just glad to be back out with my teammates. It was good to get back.
McFarland, who was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round of the 2020 draft, has been out since sustaining a knee injury in the season opener against San Francisco.