In the preseason, with 90 players on a roster, players on offense and defense can share a number, and undrafted rookie CB Beanie Bishop Jr. shared No. 30 with RB Jaylen Warren. Now, with the 53-man roster set and Bishop making the team, he’s switching his jersey number to No. 31, he told reporters on Wednesday via Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Bishop currently looks set to hold down the slot corner position for the Steelers. He’s Pittsburgh’s lone undrafted free agent from 2024 to make the roster, as he beat out Thomas Graham Jr. and others for a roster spot.
With a roster spot secured, he’ll have to bump his number to 31. He wore No. 11 last season at West Virginia, but that number also isn’t available as it belongs to WR Van Jefferson.
The most recent player to wear No. 31 for the Steelers is S Keanu Neal, who had the number last season. Mike Hilton, a player whom Bishop has said he’s studied, also wore the number in 2017. The most famous No. 31 in team history is Hall of Fame safety Donnie Shell, who donned it from 1974-1987.
Hopefully, Bishop can put together a strong rookie season like Hilton did in 2017 and potentially be the team’s slot corner of the future. It’s a position where the Steelers could look to go outside the organization, but for now, Bishop’s job is safe. He very well could start in the slot come Week 1 if the team doesn’t make any additions, which would be rare for an undrafted free agent rookie in Pittsburgh.
