Now that the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2023 season is getting underway after the team finished above .500 but failing to make the postseason last year, we turn our attention to the next chapter of Steelers football and everything that entails. One thing that it means is that some stock evaluations are going to start taking on more specific contexts as we get into the season, reflecting more immediate plusses and minus rather than trends over long periods. The nature of the evaluation, whether short-term or long-term, will be noted in the reasoning section below.
Player: S Trenton Thompson
Stock Value: Down
Reasoning: After suffering what was described as a stinger during Saturday’s game, first-year S Trenton Thompson has now gone two days without practicing. At the moment, it certainly looks like he is trending toward being unable to play in the team’s next game at a time at which they are perilously thin.
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting safeties on Saturday against the Cincinnati Bengals with their season on the line is a mystery. Even to the coaching staff. Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin basically admitted yesterday that they don’t know yet who will be out there.
Right now, it’s not looking like Trenton Thompson will be one of them. The first-year safety who stepped up amid injuries is now dealing with one of his own. He exited last week’s game with what head coach Mike Tomlin described as a stinger. Though he returned to that game and finished it, he has been unable to practice since.
Young and inexperienced players who do not practice generally do not play. If he can’t practice today, chances are he will be ruled out on the final injury report for the week. Even if it comes at the worst possible time.
Minkah Fitzpatrick is dealing with a knee injury that he suffered in the same game after CB Patrick Peterson fell on him. Damontae Kazee hit WR Michael Pittman Jr. in the head on the next play on an impact that left him suspended for the remainder of the regular season. There’s no sign of Keanu Neal exiting the Reserve/Injured List.
The remaining safety on the roster is Miles Killebrew, who is very rarely used on defense as a special teams ace. Veteran Eric Rowe has been a member of the practice squad for the past several weeks and likely will be called up, and perhaps even start the game.
Peterson is another option, having played some safety in the last game after Fitzpatrick and Kazee were put out of commission. It does look like Elijah Riley is trending toward coming off the Reserve/Injured List, though, after being a full go in practice yesterday.
