Pittsburgh Steelers backup quarterback Skylar Thompson was assaulted and robbed in Dublin, Ireland over the weekend, the team confirmed on Sunday. The incident occurred Friday night in the Dame Street area, just ahead of the Steelers’ international matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.
Local law enforcement said they were “aware of an incident involving a man in his 20s in the Dame Street area in the early hours of yesterday.” While Irish authorities have not released an official report naming Thompson, the Steelers confirmed that he was indeed the victim.
Thompson, 28, is currently on the injured reserve list and did not play in the Steelers’ 24-21 victory over the Vikings. However, he did attend the game despite sustaining minor injuries in the attack. According to the team, he was treated at a local hospital and has since been released.
Steelers spokesman Burt Lauten released a brief statement: “We are aware of a situation involving Skylar Thompson on Friday night in Dublin. We will have no further comment at this time as we are working with NFL security to gather more information regarding the incident.”
Head coach Mike Tomlin was tight-lipped during the postgame press conference, opting not to discuss the incident. When asked, linebacker T.J. Watt also refrained from giving details, saying, “I don’t have enough to comment on that.”
The NFL Players Association issued a statement on Sunday expressing concern but relief that Thompson is recovering. “The NFLPA is actively gathering more information and working to understand the full circumstances surrounding what took place,” the statement read. “As always, our priority is the health and safety of our player members — especially as we continue to work on the player protections and well-being while playing international games — and we will continue to support Skylar in any way he needs.”
This season marks Thompson’s first with the Steelers and his fourth overall in the NFL. He was placed on injured reserve on September 10 due to a hamstring injury. Before joining Pittsburgh, Thompson had stepped in as a starting quarterback for the Miami Dolphins, notably replacing Tua Tagovailoa during the 2022 season.
So far in his career, Thompson has recorded 721 passing yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions across 10 games. The Steelers-Vikings game was part of the NFL’s ongoing international series, with more games scheduled abroad later this season.