Not only has rookie cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr. taken a backseat role to veteran Cam Sutton in recent weeks, but on Christmas Day, he had no seat. Bishop was shut out of defensive snaps for the first time this season, playing zero in a 29-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Sutton played most of the time, 43 snaps or 69 percent of the Steelers’ defensive total. His dominating the snap count over Bishop isn’t a big shock. In Week 13 against QB Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals, Sutton logged 45 snaps compared to Bishop’s six.
After the game, Tomlin cited the desire to play veterans against high-level quarterbacks. This is not only because of the ability those passers possess but also because Pittsburgh needs to “spin the dial” and play a variety of defenses. That leads veterans to play over rookies.
The same applied to facing Patrick Mahomes, especially on an ultra-short week with limited practice reps. Sutton saw nickel reps and worked ahead of Bishop.
But why did Bishop play six before and zero this time? Against the Bengals, the Steelers sprinkled in a handful of dime packages, putting six defensive backs on the field. Versus the Chiefs, Pittsburgh didn’t play a single snap of dime, despite the Steelers having the chance to do so. Kansas City faced six third-and-longs, needing at least seven yards. Yet Pittsburgh only used five defensive backs in those moments instead of their usual six, opting to keep two inside linebackers on the field instead of just one. Payton Wilson joined Patrick Queen.
Determining why is a little more difficult. On three of those six, Kansas City came out in multiple tight-end personnel groupings, a good reason to stay in nickel. Still, the Chiefs were using three-receiver sets, 11 personnel on the other three. And Pittsburgh still stayed in nickel.
The Steelers came into the game with a sub-package game plan. With SS DeShon Elliott’s return, they could bring back their “big nickel” snaps, a three-safety grouping to defend the Chiefs’ 12 personnel. That’s another reason why Bishop was shut out, the Steelers having more secondary options. Perhaps the short schedule played a role, leaning on veterans rather than young players to absorb that, especially one like Bishop, who has been playing heavy snaps since Week 1.
No matter the reason, Beanie Bishop’s playing time has shrunk. Should it? That’s debatable. Sutton hasn’t played well in his return. He’s offered flexibility and freed up FS Minkah Fitzpatrick to wear more hats on passing downs, but Sutton’s actual play has been below the line. And he’s seemingly been part of the communication breakdowns. Bishop, though, has had faults throughout the season, too.
The point here isn’t to critique, though one certainly could. It’s just to point out the ebb and flow and, really, decline of Bishop’s playing time. Is the slot corner of 2025 on the Steelers’ roster? A free agent, Sutton doesn’t feel like it. Bishop, potentially, knowing he’ll grow and his head won’t be swimming as much come next year. But a stronger veteran option would be ideal to bring in and can probably be had for relatively little cost.
