ILB Cole Holcomb relishes chance to begin full practice participation with Steelers
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Cole Holcomb was one of the first players to take the field Wednesday when the Pittsburgh Steelers held their first practice of training camp.
His early attendance wasn’t an accident.
“I’m a very impatient person,” Holcomb said. “I wanted to get back out there.”
Because of December foot surgery, the fifth-year inside linebacker hadn’t participated in team drills until Wednesday. Signed to a three-year, $18 million contract in March, Holcomb was limited in his work during organized activities and minicamp.
The proverbial training wheels were taken off Wednesday.
“It’s full go, full crank, let’s get rolling,” Holcomb said.
Holcomb is the linchpin of a revamped inside linebacker room. He and Elandon Roberts were signed in free agency as the Steelers allowed Robert Spillane and Devin Bush to exit in free agency and released Myles Jack. The Steelers envision Holcomb being a three-down player, but while Roberts took part in offseason workouts, Holcomb primarily was a bystander.
Entering training camp, he was a candidate to begin on the physically unable to perform list. That’s what made his debut in practice Wednesday so important.
“It felt good getting back in the swing of things,” he said. “It’s been a while. It felt awesome to be out there and playing ball again.”
Holcomb didn’t have any trepidation about testing his foot in the initial camp workout.
“Like riding a bike,” he said. “There were a couple of plays I was a little too amped and had tunnel vision.”
Wide receiver Allen Robinson also was returning from in-season foot surgery, but his timetable was accelerated and he took part in some offseason workouts and minicamp. Still, Robinson used the six-week break before camp to play catch-up in his recovery.
“When you’re going through the injury process, especially with something like a foot, there is a lot that goes into it,” Robinson said. “The time away after OTAs, it was staying 100% locked in and continuing to improve myself. I like where I’m at. I’m not exactly where I want to be or satisfied, but being able to improve every single day, that is what I want to do. It’s what I’ve been able to see over the past six weeks and even the six weeks before that.”