The Pittsburgh Steelers have waived safety Trenton Thompson, the team announced Wednesday morning. The announcement is accompanied by the already-reported waiving of WR Denzel Mims, freeing up two roster spots.
Thompson was signed midway through the 2023 training camp when Pittsburgh was hit by injuries at safety. He impressed during the summer and earned a practice squad spot, displaying ball skills and hit power with a solid frame. Our post-camp write-up was cautiously optimistic.
“He can be overaggressive and reckless, which puts him out of position. Thompson had a tendency to miss tackles and take poor angles. But he’s a hair-on-fire player with playmaking skills too, picking off a pass in the preseason from Robber coverage and showed an overall knack for playing the football in the air. He’s someone who caught Mike Tomlin’s eye and should stick on the practice squad.”
As injuries to safeties piled up during the season, Thompson was lifted from the practice squad. He appeared in six games for Pittsburgh, making one start, recording 22 tackles. He also picked off one pass, a key interception in the team’s first game versus the Cincinnati Bengals that turned the tide in the Steelers’ favor.
Trenton Thompson suffered a neck injury against the Indianapolis Colts and did not play the rest of the season. It’s unclear if lasting impact of the injury led to his release today. The Steelers’ safeties include Minkah Fitzpatrick, DeShon Elliott, Damontae Kazee, rookie Ryan Watts, Miles Killebrew, Jalen Elliott, and Nathan Meadors. Watts is making the switch to safety after playing cornerback in college.
Thompson, 26, was undrafted in 2022. He spent time with the New York Giants before being signed by the Steelers last year.
Mims spent the 2023 season on the team’s practice squad. A former second-round pick of the New York Jets, he’ll look to catch on elsewhere.
Pittsburgh’s roster now sits at 89 players. Before these two moves, the Steelers carried 91 players due to rookie OLB Julius Welschof’s International Exemption. He does not count against the roster.
