The Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense is full of stars, but one place where they might be weaker is slot corner. That position was a big question mark going into the year, and the Steelers still don’t have a real answer. Beanie Bishop Jr. has played very well for an undrafted rookie, but he’s still got his warts. Since returning from his suspension, Cam Sutton hasn’t exactly been amazing either. However, according to Teryl Austin, the Steelers are going to continue to use both players in that spot to maximize their value.
“We know the experience Cam [Sutton] gives us, the youthful energy and stuff that Beanie [Bishop Jr.] gives us, and the growth he still has in front of him,” Austin said Thursday via the team’s transcripts. “We’re going to try to get the most out of both of them because we think we have two good football players.
“Instead of playing one and sitting the other, we’re going to do what we can to get them both out there because we think both of them could help us.”
Since Sutton returned against the Washington Commanders, the Steelers have handled slot corner a little differently. It’s been a little more of a rotation with the eighth-year veteran and Bishop. Considering their different skill sets, that makes sense and seems like the best course of action.
Sutton’s first stint with the Steelers was marked by his versatility. He grew into a decent coverage player, wearing multiple hats for the Steelers. However, he’s not the strongest corner against the run. Therefore, it makes more sense for him to be on the field more against teams that have a penchant for throwing the ball.
That could be seen when the Steelers played the Cincinnati Bengals. It was easily the most action Sutton has seen on defense since his return to Pittsburgh. He basically played the entire game, with Bishop only seeing a handful of snaps at nickel corner.
However, the exact opposite was true last Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. Bishop played most of the game at slot corner while Sutton only came in for a few snaps. That’s likely because the Browns have a much more physical ground game than the Bengals.
Bishop has his flaws, but he’s not afraid to get physical. Bishop has also shown a knack for finding the football this season, and with Browns quarterback Jameis Winston being a turnover machine, his nose for the ball could’ve been valuable. Experience is also much more valuable against Joe Burrow.
Going forward, it sounds like the Steelers will use a healthy blend of both players. At this point in the season, that’s probably for the best. Neither of them is perfect, but together, they could make slot corner less of a weakness for the Steelers.
