Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebacker Cole Holcomb left the field on a motorized cart after suffering a serious knee injury late in the first quarter of Thursday night’s win against the Tennessee Titans at Acrisure Stadium.
Holcomb was chasing Titans receiver DeAndre Hopkins as Hopkins made a 29-yard catch and run on the third-to-last play of the first quarter. Steelers safety Keanu Neal lunged to attempt a tackle, colliding with Holcomb’s left knee.
Holcomb immediately grabbed the knee as he writhed in pain, and Steelers training personnel soon attended to him.
Minutes later, the Steelers announced Holcomb would not return to the game.
“Obviously, Cole Holcomb has got a serious knee injury,” coach Mike Tomlin said after the game. “Our thoughts and prayers are with him.”
Tomlin said he would update Holcomb’s prognosis during his next weekly news conference Tuesday.
At the time he left the game, Holcomb was tied with injured safety Minkah Fitzpatrick for the Steelers’ season lead in tackles with 54. Four of Holcomb’s tackles were for loss, 31 solo. He forced two fumbles, had two passes defensed and recovered one fumble.
Holcomb signed a three-year, $18 million contract with the Steelers in March after spending his first four seasons with Washington. Though he was one of three veterans signed this year who shared the ILB duties for the Steelers, Holcomb by far had been deployed the most through the Steelers’ first seven games. Only cornerback Patrick Peterson had played more defensive snaps for the team headed into Thursday.
Kwon Alexander and Elandon Roberts were the other inside linebackers who had played extensively this season for the Steelers. Second-year pro Mark Robinson also could be in line for a bigger role in Holcomb’s stead.
Earlier during Thursday’s game, Steelers defensive lineman Montravius Adams suffered an ankle injury and did not return.
“To what degree,” Tomlin said of the severity of Adams’ injury, “I don’t know.”
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Chris Adamski is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Chris by email at cadamski@triblive.com or via Twitter .