The employment status of Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Cam Thomas has been a hot topic for the entirety of the offseason, with many—perhaps more accurately, most—overwhelmingly favoring an early release to recoup a $2 million savings from his base salary.
Signed as a free agent last season to provide depth at an area in which much was lost that offseason, the Steelers relied on the young veteran to provide starter-level snaps at defensive end for the majority of the year, which proved to be out of his depth at the time.
If his performance against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night in the Hall of Fame game is an indication of the trajectory of his game, however, then the Steelers will be looking awfully smart for keeping him around, especially in light of Clifton Geathers’ status.