The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a frustrating string of seasons. The organization has consistently been on the fringe of the playoffs for what feels like a decade, and when the team makes it into the single-elimination tournament, they get absolutely embarrassed. Despite the lack of recent postseason success, there's been some silver-linings in Pittsburgh over the last few years. General Manager Omar Khan has shown some aggression in his roster moves, while the crop of prospects Pittsburgh has added through the NFL Draft under Assistant General Manager Andy Weidl has been spectacular.
The Steelers have done a good job building the roster through the draft, and the organization has also been able to find some diamonds in the rough. Undrafted free agents have been able to make their mark in Pittsburgh, including Beanie Bishop Jr. during the 2024 season. Bishop was in a unique spot as an undrafted player. The Steelers didn't really have anyone to compete with him at slot corner due to multiple injuries in training camp, so he was almost handed the starting job before the regular season commenced. That is unheard of, as most undrafted players have to fight their way on to the 53-man roster.
Bishop had his ups and downs as a starter on the defense, and he was eventually replaced by Cam Sutton after the veteran finished serving his suspension. Bishop spoke about being sent to the bench during a recent appearance on Big C's NFL Preview.
"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."
As an undrafted rookie, Bishop was picked on a lot by opposing offenses throughout the first half of the season. Despite being targeted often, the rookie was able to hold his own and he was second on the team in interceptions as he came down with four for the year.
Bishop broke out during a game against the New York Jets where he picked off Aaron Rodgers twice, nearly returning one of them for a touchdown. The young defender played over 50 percent of the snaps during the first nine games of the 2024 season, and Sutton was able to return to play during Pittsburgh's ninth game of the season against the Washington Commanders. The veteran played just 44 defensive snaps over his first three weeks back with the team, as the organization looked to bring him in slowly.
Sutton out-snapped Bishop in six of the final seven games on the schedule for the Steelers, including the team's playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens. This was the worst defensive stretch for the Steelers in years, and the team ended the season on a five-game losing streak. The defense was having plenty of communication issues, and many blamed Sutton.
Steelers Display Another Example Of Clear Coaching Malpractice
Head Coach Mike Tomlin and Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin have been questioned by the fan base ever since the end of the year. Many fans were calling for the jobs of both individuals after the way the season came crashing down, and it seems like a string of poor coaching decisions were made in 2024.
During the stretch of losses and poor defensive performances, the defensive unit in Pittsburgh was just off. Many players spoke about not everyone doing their job, or certain players trying to do more than they were supposed to. It eventually became obvious that one of the players sparking this issue was Sutton. However, Tomlin and Austin still decided it was the better move to play Sutton throughout the remainder of the season over the rookie, showcasing another poor decision by the supposed future Hall of Famer.
Did you want Bishop to play more at the end of his rookie season?
