Three days after defensive coordinator Teryl Austin stated that second-year defensive back Beanie Bishop Jr. “really has to fight” for his spot on the 53-man roster of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bishop didn’t play a single snap against the Carolina Panthers in the preseason finale.
While it’s unclear if Bishop was injured and unable to play, he was one of 17 players who were listed as Did Not Play by the team after the 19-10 win over the Panthers to close the preseason at 2-1.
Coming into Thursday night’s matchup, Bishop had already played more snaps (45) in the preseason than he did last year as an undrafted rookie free agent trying to make the roster (40).
With additions like Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay and Brandin Echols at cornerback, not to mention seventh-round pick Donte Kent, it made for a deep position group, especially in the slot.
Bishop needed preseason games to separate himself from the pack and earn his roster spot once again. But he didn’t make many plays in the first two preseason games, then missed the third one entirely.
In the first two preseason games, Bishop graded out at an 82.9 overall from Pro Football Focus, including an 89.9 overall in coverage. But he recorded a 38.3 in run defense and a 35.5 in the tackling department, missing two tackles in those 45 snaps. In coverage, though, Bishop was sound. He allowed just eight receptions on 14 targets for 58 yards, breaking up two passes in the process.
Despite the solid grades from PFF, Bishop lacked the splash and had some concerning reps against the run. Now, he finds himself in a tough spot entering final roster cuts.
That’s hard to see with Bishop, considering he is coming off a strong rookie season in which he recorded four interceptions — including two off of current Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers — and graded out at a 55.6 overall from PFF last season in 549 snaps.
Bishop allowed just 40 receptions on 59 targets last year for 436 yards and three touchdowns. But he had those four interceptions and three other pass breakups to strengthen his numbers.
However, the Steelers never seemed all that satisfied with Bishop’s play, leading to them adding Echols in free agency, drafting Kent at the slot corner position, and later trading for Ramsey to strengthen that spot. In the process, Bishop seemed to fall behind other guys at corner, too, with Austin praising the likes of Daryl Porter Jr., the injured Cory Trice Jr., and Echols on Monday.
Entering the preseason finale, Bishop needed to fight for his job. But he never got into the ring. And that might be the final nail in the coffin when it comes to his chances of making the 53-man roster out of camp. We’ll see if word comes out that he was hurt, but for now, it seems like it’s not a good development for the West Virginia product that he didn’t play a single snap Thursday night.
