Pittsburgh Steelers safety Trenton Thompson made his first NFL start last Sunday in Pittsburgh’s 13-10 loss against the Cleveland Browns. It was just his third career game and Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin was impressed with what he saw from the 25-year-old Thompsom.
“It’s about the young guys’ preparation and being ready for his moment. Some guys, they’re not ready for their moment, and it comes and they go in there and lay an egg. He was ready for his moment, we thought he performed well, he did a lot of really good things, and now the big thing is, can he continue to build on that and continue to accelerate his development,” Austin said via Chris Adamski of TribLive.
Thompson had six tackles, five of which were solo, and two passes defensed against Cleveland. He didn’t look like somebody who playing his third NFL game and first game earning any sort of significant defensive snaps. With the Steelers down safeties Keanu Neal and Minkah Fitzpatrick, Thompson had to prove he could step up and make plays for the Steelers defense. He did, and now the opportunity for him to earn a bigger role is coming.
With fellow safety Elijah Riley going down in the Browns game and heading to IR, Thompson’s role is only going to get larger, especially if Fitzpatrick can’t play again on Sunday. The three-time Pro Bowler missed practice on Wednesday, and he’s already missed three games with a groin injury. When he returns, he’ll supplant Thompson in the starting lineup, but Thompson’s performance could earn him regular snaps as Pittsburgh’s third safety behind Damontae Kazee and Fitzpatrick when Fitzpatrick does return.
Thompson joined the Steelers in training camp and immediately made an impact with an interception against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the team’s first preseason game. The Steelers thought highly enough of him to keep him on their practice squad, and when his opportunity came, he took advantage of it in his first start. While it’s too early to consider Thompson anything more than a short-term piece, the fact that he’s just 25 and is now playing meaningful reps only bodes well for his development and future with the team.
We’ll see if Thompson will start again on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, and he almost assuredly will if Fitzpatrick is still out. Even if Fitzpatrick returns, he might not see his usual snap count so there’s going to be an opportunity for Thompson to continue to impress and earn a bigger role.
