Like many who don’t make the cut, Pittsburgh Steelers S Trenton Thompson began prepping to play in the UFL. A 2022 college free agent, he signed with Pittsburgh on Aug. 2 last year but was waived on Aug. 29. The Steelers did quickly re-sign him to the practice squad the next day, but that was not his ambition.
A practice squad job is good, make no mistake. The minimum salary in 2023 was $12,000 per week. But these days players on the fringe need to get tape. And to do that they have to play in the spring leagues. And now there’s only one in town.
“In my mind, I was prepping to get ready to play for the now-UFL, the United Football League”, he told Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He was referring to his release by the New York Giants before the Steelers called him a week later.
Instead, he only spent one day unemployed, the time it took him to clear waivers to re-sign to the practice squad. He played in multiple games as a practice squad elevation before the Steelers signed him to their 53-man roster. He logged over 200 snaps, officially starting one game, recording 22 tackles, an interception, and three passes defensed.
The only reason he saw the field was due to mounting injuries, of course. S Minkah Fitzpatrick injured his hamstring. Later, Keanu Neal went down with a season-ending rib injury. Thompson ultimately dressed for six games, playing in five. He suffered what the team called a stinger against the Indianapolis Colts with three games left to play.
Unfortunately, he never made it back from that injury. Pittsburgh had to improvise, moving CB Patrick Peterson to safety and calling veteran Eric Rowe up from the practice squad. Had Thompson not gotten injured, it would have been interesting to see how much he played.
A San Diego State product, Trenton Thompson spent six years in school. He recorded three interceptions in his final year after earning an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But he went undrafted and could have easily been just another player who falls through the cracks. That’s why he was preparing for the UFL, the new merger between the XFL and the USFL.
“This business can get tricky”, he acknowledged, via Adamski. “You never know how it goes. Being an undrafted player, (take it) year by year and see where things go and how long I can keep my foot in the door in general”.
Will he be in training camp next year? Will he make the 53-man roster? Showing some versatility would be helpful. The Steelers do need cornerbacks and slot defenders. It’s not clear if they will bring back Rowe. Neal and Damontae Kazee are both under contract, for now, but the Steelers could opt to release one.
