Once the “camp arm”, Skylar Thompson was arguably the Steelers’ best quarterback during the preseason, and his teammates have noticed. Capping a strong run last night, he went 11-of-13 for 152 yards and a touchdown against the Panthers. Among his best connections has been with WR Scotty Miller, who spoke highly of him after the Steelers’ 19-10 win.
“Skylar’s just a ball player”, Miller told Missi Matthews via the Steelers’ website. “He makes plays. He’s out there almost just playing backyard football, checking plays at the line. We all love playing with Skylar. We trust him. It’s been a good experience with him”.
The Steelers signed Skylar Thompson to a Reserve/Future contract at the end of the 2024 season. Prior to then, he had spent his entire career with the Miami Dolphins. In mid-December of last season, they waived him, re-signing him to the practice squad. He has been with the Steelers concurrently longer than any of their other quarterbacks.
A 2022 seventh-round pick out of Kansas State, Thompson often found his name left out during Steelers quarterback discussions. For a while, though, he was the only one they had before they re-signed Mason Rudolph. While pursuing Aaron Rodgers, they also drafted Will Howard.
Thompson opened camp as the Steelers’ third quarterback, but the rookie Howard slowly earned reps above him. With Howard sidelined with a broken finger, however, Thompson has taken full advantage of the opportunity.
Across three preseason games, Thompson went 41-of-56 for 498 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. On the whole, he looked sharp and in command. Having been in the league for a few years now, he should—and he did.
Having watched him, many share the opinion that Skylar Thompson will be on a 53-man roster—possibly the Steelers’. If Will Howard’s injury is serious enough to justify a stint on the Reserve/Injured List, that makes the decision easy. They could carry four quarterbacks until Howard is ready—or just leave the veteran as the third quarterback.
At this point, one imagines that the Steelers will be very reluctant to outright waive Thompson, though. At the very least, they will be making phone calls trying to see if anyone is willing to trade for him. Although his numbers aren’t glowing, he does have some NFL experience. And he is also a preseason veteran, so there is enough tape on him.
Russell Wilson and Justin Fields revived their careers after one year in Pittsburgh. Could Skylar Thompson achieve a reputation revamp during his time with the Steelers, as well? There’s certainly a good chance he begins the 2025 season on a 53-man roster. Whether that is here or elsewhere, he made the most of his opportunity.
