The Pittsburgh Steelers have been seriously struggling over their last three games. They have lost three games in a row to good opponents, but fans wanted to see the team be a bit more competitive with the playoffs right around the corner. The offense has struggled a bit, especially at the beginning of games, but the main concern has been the defense. Pittsburgh's defense has been one of the worst in the league over the franchise's three-game losing streak, and the group has seemed completely discombobulated.
Players all throughout the Steelers' defense have been speaking to the media and it seems as though there is one player that is holding the defense back. It hasn't been confirmed who that is, but many have speculated that it is veteran defensive back Cam Sutton.
This would explain why there is often a receiver or tight end running wide open against Pittsburgh. Sutton took over the starting slot cornerback job from Beanie Bishop Jr., and his recent performances have made many question why that move was ever made.
Over the last five games for Pittsburgh, the defense has given up 375 total yards or more in every contest besides one. Sutton out-snapped Bishop in the four games the Steelers gave up 375 yards or more, while Bishop played the majority of the game when the group gave up their lowest yardage total.
| Opponent | Yards Given Up | Bishop Jr. Def. Snap Percentage | Sutton Def. Snap Percentage |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 375 | 10% | 73% |
| Cleveland Browns | 300 | 81% | 18% |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 401 | 30% | 39% |
| Baltimore Ravens | 418 | 27% | 31% |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 389 | 0% | 69% |
It is quite obvious that the defensive unit as a whole has had more success with Bishop on the field more than with Sutton. Sutton is a veteran who has more experience; he is also more versatile and can play safety or outside corner, but he has become a liability. Bishop is an undrafted rookie who has certainly gotten beat more than a few times during the 2024 season, but at least he adheres to his responsibilities on certain plays.
Bishop has made some splash plays throughout his rookie season. He picked off Aaron Rodgers twice when the Steelers took down the New York Jets earlier in the year, and he also secured the game-sealing interception against the New York Giants.
Overall, Bishop has certainly struggled. As an undrafted free agent, he gets targeted a lot when he is on the field, but he has shown improvement as the season has gone along. If the issues with Sutton continue, Head Coach Mike Tomlin and Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin must step in and play Bishop rather than Sutton.
Pittsburgh's depth is a little weak at outside corner, so Sutton should be relied upon as a backup there, if at all. Bishop has played well enough throughout his rookie year to retain the slot cornerback position.
Steelers Found A Serviceable Starter In Beanie Bishop Jr.
Very rarely are undrafted free agents relied upon to start at the beginning of their NFL career, but that was the case for Bishop. Sutton was signed by the Steelers during the 2024 offseason but he was suspended for the first eight weeks of the 2024 season.
Once he returned he was slowly worked into the rotation on defense, and he eventually over took the starting job. In the most recent loss to the Chiefs, Sutton played all of the snaps at slot corner while Bishop didn't see a single defensive snap.
Obviously that should change moving forward. With the way some of the defensive leaders have spoken about the issue on defense, it wouldn't be too much of a surprise if Sutton doesn't see the field at all in Week 18 against the Bengals.
