All signs point to Steelers moving on from fan-favorite defender

It didn't take long for Cole Holcomb to ingratiate himself to the Pittsburgh Steelers after signing a three-year deal in 2023. Unfortunately, it also didn't take long for the linebacker's debut season to end, potentially putting the rest of his Steelers career in jeopardy.

Holcomb suffered a devastating knee injury in Week 8 and began a long and arduous rehab process. It was supposed to have him ready to go by Week 1 but more recent murmurings suggest he's not actually that close to a return.

Meanwhile, the Steelers have made moves to deal with Holcomb's absence. They signed former Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen to a three-year deal worth $41 million. Then they drafted NC State linebacker Payton Wilson in the third round.

With those moves in mind, Bleacher Report's David Kenyon predicted Holcomb was the best player who could still be cut from the Steelers roster.

Steelers cutting Cole Holcomb looks more likely than ever

Releasing Holcomb as a post-June 1 cut would cost Pittsburgh just $1.64 million in dead cap. They'd open up $6 million in cap space.

As promising as Holcomb looked in 2023, the knee injury is a huge problem to consider. If he's not going to be ready for the start of the coming season, there's no telling when he'd be available to fully contribute. Even if he is able to return quickly, there's no telling if he'll be capable of playing at a high level.

The Steelers have already replaced him with their sizable investment in Queen. And Wilson could be a massive steal from the third round. Injury concerns saw him tumble down the board but his talent warranted an significantly earlier pick.

If Pittsburgh has other options in place and Holcomb may not play much anyways, the $6 million in extra space could be hugely valuable.