Steelers second-year CB Beanie Bishop Jr. began his career as a starter; will he even have a job this season? Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette pondered that very question, a debate he reached during a 53-man roster projection. A former college free agent, he saw the field initially as the last man standing.
Later in the year, the Steelers did sit Bishop down or substantially curb his playing time. But could he really miss the roster entirely after making it last year? It wouldn’t be the first time that a fringe player made the team once and then not again. Just last year, Dylan Cook found himself on the outside looking in after being on the roster in 2023.
“I’m not convinced they’re gonna just hand a job to Beanie Bishop—starter or backup”, Batko said on the North Shore Drive podcast. “I know he had a good rookie season with the four picks, but he was up and down in terms of playing assignment-sound football and being able to run with bigger, taller, faster guys at the NFL level. I think he’s gonna have to ‘go take his food’, too, in training camp, as Karl Dunbar said”.
“It’s competition, so if you want to eat, go take your food”. That’s the message Steelers DL coach Karl Dunbar shared during a draft in which they selected two defensive linemen. They have a crowded room there, but the secondary has some numbers, too. And the Steelers drafted Donte Kent this year while adding a promising college free agent in Sebastian Castro. Beanie Bishop was that promising rookie a year ago.
Bishop intercepted four passes with seven passes defensed last season. He registered 45 tackles with two for loss and split a sack. But he also missed tackles, poorly timed angles, lost assignment discipline, and struggled in some of his matchups. Some of his interceptions were gifts, though his first was a highlight.
Earlier this month, I posed the question of whether Beanie Bishop would reclaim the Steelers’ starting nickel job. Those who commented seemed heavily in his favor, but Batko questions whether he is even going to make the team. He didn’t put Bishop anywhere near his roster locks. In fact, he had him as the 53rd man on the roster, challenged by Donte Kent and Sebastian Castro.
Still, even with the contextualization of all of his interceptions, it’s hard to cut a young player who picked off four passes. Bishop proved that he was opportunistic, and sometimes that’s better than being skilled. Not that he doesn’t have skills, of course. There’s a lot to like about his game. And he should only grow from here, going into Year 2.
But he’s not going to grow any taller—not that his competitors are towering figures. Brandin Echols is 5-10 to his 5-9, as is Kent.
