Earlier this week, the Pittsburgh Steelers made a surprising roster move by deciding to waive safety Trenton Thompson. Thompson became a big part of the Steelers' secondary late in the 2023 season as their defensive backs became depleted with injuries. The safety participated in six games late in the year for the Black and Gold, and did his best to prove he should be rewarded with a spot on the depth chart in the future.
Thompson's career began when he joined the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2022. His time in New York didn't last long, and would eventually end up in the Steel City ahead of the 2023 season. He would spend the first half of the year on the practice squad, but Pittsburgh needed his help as they had multiple injuries at safety. Thompson got his feet wet for the first time when the Steelers hosted the Green Bay Packers in a Week 10 matchup.
Two weeks later, Thompson collected his first career interception versus the Cincinnati Bengals, which was a game-changing play in Pittsburgh's favor. Before the Steelers began their three-game winning streak to finish the season, their secondary was able to recover and return to the field, pushing Thompson back to the sidelines.
Pittsburgh fans didn't get to see much more out of Thompson after a promising stretch, and many hoped he would remain on the roster as a solid backup in 2024. After the news broke of his release, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Brian Batko was puzzled by this move. During one of their weekly episodes of North Shore Drive, Batko and Chris Carter talked about the new personnel moves.
"Trenton Thompson, yeah that one was kind of a head-scratcher because there are some, you know, less accomplished safeties on the roster, like Nate Meadors and Jalen Elliott, who you'd think would have been the first on the chopping block," Batko said. "Yeah, maybe Thompson's another guy who wasn't really cutting it for them on special teams."
As of right now, the top four safeties on the roster are Minkah Fitzpatrick, DeShon Elliott, Damontae Kazee, and Miles Killebrew. Behind those only remain Nate Meadors, Jalen Elliott, and possibly rookie Ryan Watts if he switches from cornerback to safety. To this point, Thompson is more proven than both Meadors and Elliott, and Carter mentions the possibility of the Steelers re-signing him at some point.
Thompson showed a lot of heart and dedication during his time on the field with the Steelers, and it was shocking for most to see him let go. Batko mentions this being an encouraging sign for Watts, who could turn himself into the depth piece at safety that they need.
Steelers' Secondary Massively Improved From 2023
Although they were one of the best scoring defenses last season, Pittsburgh has still had struggles in recent years defending the pass. Even though the Steelers seemed weak at cornerback this offseason, they managed to pick up two solid additions in Donte Jackson and Cam Sutton. With Joey Porter Jr. leading the group, the three of these corners have all proven to be able to play at a high level. In 2023, Porter had more liabilities behind him with Patrick Peterson and Levi Wallace.
Pittsburgh also upgraded at safety by pairing up Fitzpatrick with DeShon Elliott, who has collected over 80 tackles in three of his last four seasons. The Steelers made other solid additions on the defensive side, and they have the potential to be the best unit in all of football this season.
