Behind the Steel Curtain
The Pittsburgh Steelers are reportedly planning on adding wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling to the practice squad this week, per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
To make room on the practice squad, the Steelers announced on Monday that they have released cornerback Beanie Bishop from the practice unit.
The move is slightly surprising since Bishop was a starter on defense just a year ago.
The former West Virginia corner has spent the entire season practicing with the team, but has been left off the active roster. Bishop was released when the Steelers narrowed their roster to 53 players out of training camp, but brought Bishop back days later.
Trading for Jalen Ramsey, plus signing Darius Slay and Brandon Echols, clouded Bishop’s future from the start of training camp.
It’s a curious fall from grace for the former undrafted free agent, who signed with the Steelers prior to last season.
Bishop became a key component of the defense before Cam Sutton returned from his suspension. He started six games in 2024 and recorded four interceptions, seven passes defended, and one fumble recovery.
Two of Bishop’s picks came against Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets on Sunday Night Football.
Mike Tomlin and Teryl Austin opted to put Bishop on the bench when Sutton was activated and played significantly fewer snaps the rest of the season.
Bishop is now a free agent and ultimately fell out of favor in the Steelers’ secondary.
The Steelers entered Week 9 with the 32nd-ranked pass defense in the NFL. Pittsburgh plays in Los Angeles against the Chargers in primetime this Sunday.
