NFL drops the hammer on Steelers defender for a hit that could come back to bite him later in the 2026 regular season
The Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker took a hit to the wallet for a play on the opening kickoff against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3, and the type of infraction attached to the fine is what Steelers fans should keep an eye on.
The NFL fined Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Cole Holcomb, and the dollar amount is the least concerning part of it.
Holcomb was fined over $11,000 for an illegal blindside block on the opening kickoff of the Steelers’ Week 3 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The league usually announces fines a week or so after the game, so the timing isn’t a surprise. The category the infraction falls into is what stands out.
What the NFL’s major infraction label means for Cole Holcomb
Holcomb was one of six players whose fines fell under what the NFL now calls major infractions. So the immediate question becomes, what exactly does that entail?
Well, it’s essentially a three-strike system. If a player commits three major infractions in a season, he is suspended for one game. Illegal blindside blocks, hits on a defenseless player, and hip-drop tackles (amomg others) all count toward that total, and they can be mixed and matched. Two more blindside blocks would do it for Holcomb. So would one blindside block and one hit on a defenseless player, or a hip-drop tackle paired with a hit on a defenseless player.
In other words, Holcomb already has one strike, and his margin for error is thin.
Why the Steelers’ linebacker struggles make this matter
On its own, a fine for a player who mostly contributes on special teams wouldn’t move the needle much. The truth is, though, the situation in Pittsburgh’s linebacker room could change Holcomb’s role in a hurry.
If you watched Thursday Night Football, you saw an atrocious performance from the Steelers defense against the Cleveland Browns. The linebacking unit was a big part of the problem. Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson weren’t good against the run, and that’s been a trend rather than a one-week blip. At one point, Queen was getting blocked by rookie wide receiver KC Concepcion, a player roughly half his size.
To be fair to the starters, Holcomb didn’t exactly light it up either. He struggled a little bit in the few reps he got against Cleveland.
Still, I have to wonder about one thing. If Wilson continues to struggle to get off blocks, does Holcomb start to see more snaps? If the run defense doesn’t improve, the Steelers may not have much choice but to shake things up.
That’s where the major infraction rule comes into play. More defensive snaps on top of his special teams work means more opportunities for exactly the kind of contact the league is now tracking. Holcomb has to play with an edge to earn that role, and he has to stay disciplined at the same time, because two more of these infractions would cost him a game.
The bottom line is that this is a minor rule the NFL instituted this season, and plenty of fans won’t give it a second thought. But if you look up at the end of the season and Holcomb is somehow serving a suspension, now you know why.
