Head coach Mike Tomlin tells every player who walks into the Pittsburgh Steelers’ UPMC Rooney Sports Complex the same thing: it doesn’t matter how you got here, it matters what you do while you’re here. It’s not a unique message, but it’s a powerful one, particularly for players like S Trenton Thompson who might be overlooked.
Undrafted out of San Diego St. in 2022, he spent time with the New York Giants last season, playing in one game, but was waived in July this year. He has been with Pittsburgh since August 2, the only pause being when he was waived at the end of training camp before clearing waivers and being re-signed to the practice squad.
No longer a practice squad player, however, Thompson has proved himself to be a contributor over the past two weeks as injuries mounted at safety. All-Pro Minkah Fitzpatrick has been out the past four games, and more recently, Keanu Neal suffered an injury that landed him on the Reserve/Injured List.
That’s left him in a much bigger role as a starter the past two games, logging 100 snaps during that span, and culminating in a key interception late in Sunday’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals. It won’t be the last we see of him by any means, Fitzpatrick is convinced, as he returns from injury to retake his starting spot.
“He made a lot of plays, he did a lot of good things”, he told reporters yesterday, via the team’s website. “He earned himself a helmet. He did what he had to do to get out there. However we use him, whether it’s three safeties, whether it’s in dime, he’s gonna be out there for sure”.
The Steelers have leaned on their depth at safety all year, using a combination of Damontae Kazee and Neal next to Fitzpatrick all along. The three of them would also see considerable time on the field together in a three-safety package, as Fitzpatrick alluded.
Now that he is back, however, it will be interesting to see how Thompson is used. Could he see some rotational work in two-safety looks with Kazee coming off the field? Will he be exclusively a sub-package player as an extra defensive back? And where will he fall within that hierarchy?
One thing worth noting about Thompson’s showing the past two weeks is the quality of competition. The Steelers last two opponents have been the Cleveland Browns with rookie reserve Dorian Thompson-Robinson making his second career start, followed by a Cincinnati Bengals team one game removed from a season-ending injury for Joe Burrow, Jake Browning making his first career start.
We may want to wait a bit more to get a fuller evaluation of Thompson as he faces some steeper competition. In a schedule littered with backups, the Arizona Cardinals’ Kyler Murray may be one of their biggest remaining challenges.
