Trenton Thompson attracted some attention for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second half of the 2023 season. A virtual unknown, he received the call-up from the practice squad due to mounting injuries at the safety position. To his credit, he made the most of his opportunity before suffering a season-ending neck injury.
The Steelers announced his departure earlier this week, waiving him without an injury designation. The fact that he is seemingly healthy and still found himself waived at this time did raise a few eyebrows. While he was a long shot last year, Thompson seemed to have a chance to carve out a role in 2024.
“That one was kind of a head-scratcher because there are some less accomplished safeties on the roster like Nate Meadors and Jalen Elliott, who you’d think would’ve been the first on the chopping block, Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette told Christopher Carter on the North Shore Drive podcast yesterday. “Maybe [Trenton] Thompson’s another guy who wasn’t really cutting it for them on special teams”.
Thompson did log 58 snaps on special teams in the six games he played last season. He also managed over 200 snaps on defense, including one start against the Cincinnati Bengals. It was in that game in which he delivered a momentum-swinging interception, which stands as the highlight of his career. And the Steelers continued to play him situationally after that until he went down three games later. He never played again for the rest of the season but participated in OTAs and minicamp. Batko had one suggestion, though, about possible motivations for the move.
“This could potentially be an encouraging sign for Ryan Watts, the rookie sixth-rounder out of Texas who they’re trying to teach the safety position”, he said about the waiving of Thompson. “Maybe they think Watts, if they keep a fifth safety … maybe Watts can be that guy”.
The Steelers have a crowded secondary, even if not an incredibly distinguished one behind the starters. The lineup currently projects to feature Minkah Fitzpatrick and DeShon Elliott at safety, with Joey Porter Jr., Donte Jackson, and Cameron Sutton at cornerback. After the Thompson release, you still have Damontae Kazee and Miles Killebrew. At cornerback, there is Cory Trice Jr., Darius Rush, and Beanie Bishop Jr. And then there is Ryan Watts, the rookie sixth-round pick.
An outside cornerback in college, Watts spent spring practices working at safety and in the slot. Steelers coaches have waxed philosophical about the variety of circumstances in which he could potentially contribute on defense. But like Thompson before him, he first needs to earn a spot, which starts on special teams.
Obviously, the Steelers would not have bothered to draft Watts if they didn’t think he had a decent shot. I don’t know how much the Thompson waiver moves the needle on his roster odds, but it certainly can’t hurt. I did like what Thompson did last year and wanted to see more, but let’s see what Watts can do.
