The Pittsburgh Steelers held an open competition for the nickel — or slot cornerback — role this summer. Before long, it became clear that undrafted rookie and fast fan favorite Beanie Bishop Jr. had stolen the job.
Having said that, his status as the starting nickel was always thought to be more of a placeholder role with veteran Cameron Sutton suspended for the first eight games. Despite a recent run of strong play from Bishop — with three interceptions over the past two games — Pittsburgh Post-Gazette beat reporter Ray Fittipaldo still believes that to be the case as the season goes on.
“There’s more to it than just getting interceptions and I think with Sutton’s versatility, his experience, I think that’s going to come through and eventually he’ll bump Beanie [Bishop] out of a job,” Fittipaldo told 93.7 The Fan’s Joe Starkey Show on November 1.
The Steelers media member added that he doesn’t know if this CB swap will occur as soon as Week 10 versus the Washington Commanders, which is Pittsburgh’s first game following the bye week. However, he does expect this veteran transition to happen over time.
“I they’ll work Sutton in slowly,” Fittipaldo noted on the radio show, “but eventually, yeah. He will take over the slot.”
Steelers Rookie Beanie Bishop Has Shown Improvement After Rough Start
It’s been a tale of two seasons for Bishop during his rookie campaign. Early on, the UDFA struggled in pass coverage, and appeared notably exposed against the Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys in Weeks 2 and 5.
Bishop was also charged with three touchdowns allowed over the first six weeks according to Pro Football Focus, with a passer rating against of 100.0 or greater in four out of his six outings.
It was a rough start to say the least, and some were even calling for the rookie to take a seat on the bench heading into Week 7. What a difference two weeks can make.
Overshadowed by Russell Wilson’s quarterback play, Bishop’s development has been obvious in recent games. Even if you ignore the three interceptions, the rookie has lowered his yards per reception, yards per game and touchdowns against.
He has not been charged with a penalty over the past two weeks either, and his passer ratings allowed were 31.0 and 50.0 — his best two performances of the year in that regard.
Similarly, Bishop is coming off two of his top PFF grades as a run defender and tackler, so it’s not just his pass coverage that has improved.
Can Beanie Bishop Fend off Cameron Sutton for Steelers Slot CB Role?
First off, this should be considered a good problem to have for the Steelers. Sutton’s return strengthens their secondary depth, no matter who continues on as the starting nickel, and that’s a major positive for head coach Mike Tomlin and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin.
Is it possible that Bishop even fends off the 29-year-old Sutton? Of course.
While Sutton does certainly appear to have the inside track at the job — based on Tomlin’s lean toward experience and Sutton’s long NFL track record — there are other potential variables to consider.
One, Sutton hasn’t played all year, so it remains to be seen if he’s in quality football shape. Two, Bishop could continue to progress as a young UDFA gem, and Pittsburgh could see more upside in keeping him in the lineup both now and long-term. Three, Bishop has been building chemistry with the rest of the Steelers’ secondary while Sutton is coming in late.
And finally, from more of a macro perspective, it could make sense for Pittsburgh to continue Bishop’s development for 2025 and beyond with the youngster under team control and Sutton playing out a one-year deal.
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