Minkah Fitzpatrick Raves about Beanie Bishop’s Work Ethic: ‘Type of Guy That I Like to Play with’

UNITY TWP., Pa. — Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Beanie Bishop has been one of the standouts at training camp. At Saturday’s practice, Bishop was blitzing, sniffed out a screen, jumped and intercepted Justin Fields, and then walked into the end zone. It was the best play so far for the promising rookie.

Bishop has received first-team reps at slot corner during training camp, which is a rare feat for any rookie, but especially an undrafted free agent. The West Virginia product has a unique makeup, however.

“Honestly, it’s more off the field stuff than on the field,” Steelers All-Pro free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick said when asked what he likes about Bishop’s skill set. “He’s a guy that’s eager to learn. He’s not a guy that you gotta chase down to get extra work in, extra film in. He’s always up under whether it’s me or DeShon (Elliott), or Donte (Jackson). He’s trying to learn. He’s trying to get better any way that he can. And when you see a guy like that, there’s the type of guy that I like to play with.”

Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Beanie Bishop during training camp on July 25, 2024. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now

The Steelers knew early that Bishop wasn’t like most UDFAs. The Steelers have noted multiple times how much they love these types of slot cornerbacks who can tackle, blitz, and stick their noses in the run game. Bishop prides himself on that.

“It was something that they told me and I kind of got wind of it early that they were in search for a Nickel and they feel that I could fill that role, with my tacking abilities and being able to cover, as well,” Bishop said during the first week of Steelers training camp at St. Vincent College.

Bishop ran a 4.39 forty and a 4.15 20-yard shuttle, which would have been among the best times at the NFL Combine. Given his projection in the slot, the Steelers had to take note of Bishop’s level of testing.

“Yeah, Beanie Bishop. I can’t tell you how excited we were to have an opportunity to sign Beanie Bishop after the draft. We had him here for a visit. When he was here, we talked about our defense and how he would fit in. We really felt like he was a guy that could come in here and compete,” Steelers general manager Omar Khan said on the DVE Morning Show in May.

Bishop will get an opportunity to show Steelers Nation what he’s all about during the first preseason game against the Houston Texans on Friday night. The training camp reports suggest that the Steelers might have got a steal in Bishop.

Alan Saunders contributed reporting from Unity Twp.