Trenton Thompson is one of the forgotten players of the Pittsburgh Steelers and their 2023 season. He came and went rather quickly, active for six games before a lingering injury finally landed him on Injured Reserve. Yet for a considerable time Thompson made significant contributions, and arguably missed his biggest window.
Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is looking forward to getting another look at him in 2024. In discussing some of the Steelers’ in-house depth options, he made particular note of the former San Diego State safety.
“He helped change the momentum of the season at one point in Cincinnati with that big interception that he had, he told Christopher Carter on the North Shore Drive podcast. “That was proof positive that he can make some plays, and I think he’d be exactly the type of safety to put next to Minkah Fitzpatrick. He’s a little bit bigger-bodied guy. He can play in the box, but he showed the playmaking ability there against the Bengals”.
A college free agent in 2022, Thompson spent most of that season on the New York Giants’ practice squad. He earned one helmet to play on special teams but made his defensive debut as a Steeler in 2023.
They first picked him up in August after the Giants cut him loose and later signed him to the practice squad. After elevating him for multiple games, he signed to the 53-man roster on Nov. 20. After making his debut against the Green Bay Packers, he started the following week against the Cincinnati Bengals.
While that is the only official start he made, Thompson played a significant role for a month due to injuries to Fitzpatrick and Keanu Neal. He logged more than 200 snaps before suffering some sort of stinger in Week 15 against the Indianapolis Colts.
Thompson made the interception to which Batko refers in his first extensive action in the game against the Bengals. Cincinnati leading 7-3, he picked off QB Jake Browning inside the red zone. The offense took the lead on the Steelers’ subsequent possession.
That was a key win, but the Steelers proceeded to go on a three-game slide coinciding with the play of QB Mitch Trubisky after Kenny Pickett injured his ankle. By the time Mason Rudolph took over, Thompson’s season was over due to the back injury.
They finished the regular season with Patrick Peterson and Eric Rowe playing safety before getting Fitzpatrick back. Damontae Kazee also returned from an NFL suspension for the postseason. They have the two and Neal all under contract for 2024—and Thompson as well.
Are we overlooking his value, or at least how the Steelers value him? He definitely seemed to flash some potential as, at worst, some quality depth. He only played 58 snaps on special teams, but he can expand upon that if he begins the season on the roster. I don’t know about plugging him in next to Fitzpatrick, but I’m not enamored with the alternatives, either.
