Pittsburgh Steelers CB Beanie Bishop Jr. had an uneven rookie season. That’s always to be expected for rookies, especially undrafted ones. But Bishop’s rookie season was not a typical one.
In fact, Bishop was flying high midway through the season. In a Week 7 matchup against the New York Jets, Bishop picked Jets QB Aaron Rodgers off not once but twice. That’s an incredible feat for any corner, much less an undrafted free agent. Unfortunately, Bishop’s on-field opportunities soon took a precipitous dip as the Steelers turned to veteran CB Cam Sutton.
That’s tough for any football player. But it’s got to be really tough for a young guy who is desperately trying to prove himself and has shown some promise in taking the ball away. Bishop was asked about the situation during an appearance on Sunday’s episode of the Big C’s NFL Preview podcast. He shared his frustration as well as his emphasis on keeping a positive mindset through it all.
“It was just a coaching thing,” Bishop said. “Obviously, I felt a way about it too, as well. But whatever they thought to help us win football games I’m going to be all for it. Because I want to be able to win and things like that. It was a big transition, starting and playing a lot to not playing that much. But I tried to keep my composure, to keep a level head, understand that whenever my number’s called, I gotta go out there and try to make plays.”
That’s exactly what happened, too. Bishop did not play much after Week 11. In fact, over the final two games of the season, he only logged six defensive snaps.
But in the final game of the regular season, Beanie Bishop Jr. logged his fourth interception of his rookie season. As the first half wound down against the Cincinnati Bengals, Bishop picked off QB Joe Burrow. That’s a great example of keeping his head in the game despite his frustration at playing so little.
Perhaps Beanie Bishop Jr. sulked a bit at spending more time on the bench in the second half of the season. I certainly can’t say I would blame him. Regardless of whether he did or not, he responded on the field when his number was called. Hopefully, for him, that response proves to the Steelers’ coaching staff that he deserves to play more in 2025. Because Steelers rookies don’t snag four interceptions all that often.
