The Pittsburgh Steelers’ biggest unanswered question isn’t Russell Wilson or Justin Fields. Nor is it which wide receivers will step up outside of George Pickens. It’s who’s going to start at slot cornerback.
Beanie Bishop Jr., an undrafted rookie out of West Virginia, operated as the starting slot corner throughout training camp, and he’s been listed as the official starter on the preseason depth charts, but Mike Tomlin still doesn’t believe he’s earned the job for Week 1 of the regular season. Last week, Tomlin was asked by reporters if Bishop had shown enough to deserve the starting job, and he bluntly replied, “Absolutely not.”
Bishop was asked if Tomlin’s harsh words were just “tough love” after practice on Monday.
“Yeah, you know, that’s just how coach is,” Bishop said via video from the Johnstown-Tribune’s Amanda Godsey on YouTube. “He gets it out of players. Obviously, this is a blue-collar football team. You’ve got to work hard and not everything is going to be pretty and glamorous. That’s just football most of the time. Just going out there and making plays and coach he’s like ‘Man, I need you to be angry.’ He’s like ‘Man, somebody said something about your mom.’ He’s just trying to give you a little extra motivation.”
Tomlin’s been labeled the best “players coach” in the league over the past decade or so by numerous players and coaches across the league. He’s widely respected for his ability to get the most out of his players, and he’s done an expert job dealing with dozens of players with attitude issues over the years. He constantly antagonizes his players in an effort to get them mad at him, so that they unleash that anger on the football field. It’s never done out of hatred. He’s just simply a master at his craft, and his craft is motivating his players.
Bishop’s response to Tomlin saying he’s “absolutely not” shown enough to have earned the starting slot corner job makes it seem like this might be another instance of Tomlin trying to motivate Bishop.
This isn’t to say that Tomlin’s words don’t mean anything. Tomlin has emphasized multiple times that just because Bishop is first in the depth chart, he’s not necessarily going to get starting reps in Week 1. The reality is that Bishop hasn’t show enough at this point to be fully trusted as the starter, and unless he steps up his play, the Steelers will likely look for another solution. Ultimately, somebody has to win the job, and Bishop’s only competition right now is Thomas Graham Jr., who’s played in just 11 games across three NFL seasons. Graham received some praise recently by the Steelers staff but not enough to take first-team reps from Bishop in practice.
It’s a very realistic possibility that the Steelers look to add a free agent to compete for the position after roster cuts are finalized today with former Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson’s name being thrown around as a potential option. Otherwise, Bishop and Graham may split time until one player stands out over the other while safety DeShon Elliott might even get some snaps in the slot if neither slot corner steps up.
If Tomlin is in fact trying to fan the flames a bit and inspire Bishop to rise to the occasion, then it’s time for Bishop to get angry and win the job. It’s rare that an undrafted rookie gets the chance to don the Black and Gold with the starting defense in Week 1, so Bishop should go after this opportunity over the next two weeks of practice. Hopefully, Tomlin’s instigating comments are the extra motivation that Bishop’s needed, and the Steelers will have their solution to this pressing question.
