Given how much their team changed in the offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers were forced to make several surprising moves during their 2025 final roster cuts. Several notable players were surprisingly omitted from the team's 53-man roster, but arguably none were more shocking than cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr.
In addition to Bishop, the Steelers also distinctly released Robert Woods, Trey Sermon, DeMarvin Leal, Cameron Johnston, Lance McCutcheon and Brandon Johnson. Undrafted free agents Sebastian Castro and Daryl Porter Jr. also fell short in their quests to make the roster.
Pittsburgh found a way to retain all seven of its 2025 draft picks during its final roster cuts. However, quarterback Will Howard and cornerback Donte Kent — two of the team's final three selections — will begin the year on injured reserve.
The Steelers are almost unrecognizable in 2025, returning just 16 starters across the board. Pittsburgh made significant changes in all three phases of the game. Their signing of Aaron Rodgers and trades involving DK Metcalf and George Pickens stole headlines, but the team experienced more turnover than nearly every other team in the league. The stout offensive line and edge-rushing units are the only two that return intact in 2025.
The wealth of moves the Steelers made in the offseason left little room for veterans like Woods or undrafted players like Castro to make the 2025 roster. Yet, as a returning starter, Bishop seemed to be in a safe spot. Instead, he finds himself on Pittsburgh's practice squad to begin the year, just eight months after making his last start.
Although players like Woods and Leal have more name value, neither of their releases was more surprising than Bishop's.
Steelers surprisingly release Beanie Bishop Jr.
Although he barely snuck onto the Steelers' 2024 roster as an undrafted free agent, it did not take Bishop long to breach the starting lineup. The former All-American quickly established himself as the starting nickelback in Teryl Austin's defense and made an early impact. Bishop earned the AFC Rookie of the Month award in October, during which he recorded five pass breakups and three interceptions.
NEWS: #Steelers cornerback Beanie Bishop has been named ROOKIE OF THE MONTH.
• Bishop led the league with 3 INTs, ranked 2nd among rookies with 5 passes defensed, and had 16 tackles in October.
• Only NFL player with 15+ tackles, 3 INTs, and a tackle for loss in Weeks 5-8
•… pic.twitter.com/Mpfo2u7uMs— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) October 31, 2024
Unfortunately for Bishop, his rookie season was a tale of two halves. After starting five of the first 10 games, Bishop only started one of Pittsburgh's final seven contests in 2024. He fell almost entirely out of the rotation in the final two weeks, playing just six total defensive snaps in Weeks 17 and 18.
As disappointing as the end of his season was, Bishop still overachieved as an undrafted free agent. Scouts worried about his size, but Bishop built a stable foundation to build a solid career off of. Most rookies endure their highs and lows, as expected, but Bishop was still one of the best first-year defensive players in the league.
Bishop's journey got even tougher in the offseason when the Steelers traded for star cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Acquiring Ramsey gave the Steelers three high-level cornerbacks, as the former All-Pro joined Darius Slay and rising star Joey Porter Jr. on the roster. The move certainly kept Bishop on the bench, but few could have guessed that it threatened his job.
The Steelers' decision to cut Bishop is particularly noteworthy given the current state of their cornerback room. Entering Week 1, Pittsburgh has just one healthy backup — Brandin Echols — at the position. The remaining reserves — Donte Kent, Cameron McCutcheon and Cory Trice — are beginning the season on injured reserve.
Considering the injuries, the Steelers will likely need to activate Bishop for depth. He should be on the team in Week 1, making it an even more questionable decision to cut him in the first place. Regardless, Bishop has proven that all he needs is one chance to prove himself as an NFL-caliber cornerback.
Expect Beanie Bishop to return to active roster in 2025
Bishop might begin the season on the practice squad, but expect him to spend the majority of the season on the active roster. The Steelers' lack of depth requires his services immediately, but there is reason to believe that they will keep him on the 53-man roster more often than not.
Kent, McCutcheon and Trice are the injured players for now, but recent history suggests they will not be the only ones. Over the past two seasons, Ramsey and Slay have both missed their fair share of games. Slay has only played a full 17-game slate once in his career and has missed eight games since the 2023 season.
Ramsey has typically been more durable, but spent seven games on injured reserve just two seasons ago. Both Ramsey and Slay have seen their best days, with the veterans entering their age-30 and 34 seasons, respectively. They are still highly effective players, but are less capable of maintaining an elite level for all 17 games the way they used to.
Bishop might not have performed as desired in training camp, but he has already accomplished more in his career than any of the Steelers' current backup cornerbacks. He likely does not have the frame to ever become a full-time starting cornerback, but he has proven to be one of the best slot defenders in the NFL. As long as at least one of Ramsey, Porter or Slay is starting on the outside, Bishop will be an effective nickelback if given the chance in 2025.
If it is not Pittsburgh, expect another organization to give Bishop a call. The fan-favorite defender fills a need that all 32 teams desire, particularly as offenses continue to utilize more three-receiver sets. Bishop is too good a player to be held out of the league for very long.
