The Pittsburgh Steelers have placed second-year cornerback Beanie Bishop on waivers, the team announced on Tuesday, one of the biggest surprise cuts as the team got down to the mandatory 53 players.
Bishop was the team's starting Nickel cornerback as an undrafted free agent rookie out of West Virginia to start the 2024 season, but he fell out of favor by the middle of the year, with the team replacing him when Cam Sutton returned from suspension.
He finished his rookie year having played in all 17 games, making six starts, and collecting four interceptions. Bishop also had seven passes defended, 45 tackles, two for a loss, a quarterback hit and a fumble recovery.
This offseason, the Steelers once again started with Bishop in a starting role, but that quickly changed after the free agent addition of Brandin Echols and the big trade for Jalen Ramsey knocked him down the team's depth chart.
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Beanie Bishop at OTAs on June 3, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Bishop had been the third slot option behind Ramsey and Echols in recent practices, putting him on the roster bubble. He also missed the team's final preseason game with an undisclosed injury.
Compared to some of the Steelers' other options in the defensive secondary, the 5-foot-9 182-pound cornerback was positionally limited, only able to play the slot, while Echols has inside-out versatility, James Pierre is a punt gunner and rookie Donte Kent also works as a kick returner.
Bishop was expected to be drafted last year before falling off the boards and into the Steelers' lap as a UDFA. He played just one season at WVU, leading the NCAA in pass breakups in 2023. Before that, he played one year at Minnesota and four at Western Kentucky.
Bishop will now go through waivers, where he will remain until noon on Wednesday. If he clears waivers, he will be eligible to be re-signed to the team's practice squad.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Steelers Surprisingly Release 2024 Starting Cornerback
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