Steelers' Beanie Bishop's Job Not Safe Just Yet As Team Still Has "Wiggle Room" For Blockbuster CB Addition

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a clear weakness on the roster that the organization has not paid much attention to in addressing, and that weakness is at slot cornerback. The franchise has always taken pride in the defense, but for some reason, slot cornerback has fallen by the wayside in recent seasons. It is a position that the front office has typically put on the back burner, but that should not be the approach moving forward. The NFL is more of a passing league than it has ever been before, which means the slot cornerback position is more important than ever.

Beanie Bishop Jr. took over the slot cornerback position during the 2024 season. He was an undrafted free agent during the 2024 offseason, and he earned the starting job throughout training camp. He played decently, but there were certainly some games where he was being targeted by the opposing offense. He wound up losing snaps later on in the season after Cam Sutton served his suspension, but he is expected to be back in the starting role in 2025. 

Team insider Brian Batko joined 93.7 The Fan on Tuesday, and he was asked about the slot cornerback position. He was specifically asked about Pittsburgh pursuing either Jalen Ramsey or Mike Hilton, and if he could see either player on the 2025 roster.

"Yeah, I mean, Mike Hilton, obviously they're familiar with him and vice versa," Batko said. "But, I can also think of some games in recent history where they've exploited Mike Hilton in some matchups. They know his limitations. As for Jalen Ramsey, he's getting up there in age too. He's on a different level as a player. Think there'd be a lot of moving parts there for that to fall into place. I'll just say this, the Steelers do have some wiggle room."

Hilton is a free agent, while Ramsey would have to be acquired through a trade with the Miami Dolphins. Bringing back Hilton to compete with Bishop would certainly be a move fans might expect from the Steelers after he has spent a significant amount of time with the Cincinnati Bengals and played in a Super Bowl. However, Ramsey would increase the ceiling of the team significantly. 

Ramsey is a perennial All-Pro, and he is still a high-impact player as he enters his 30s. He can still make game-changing plays, and he would likely be a great player in the slot for Pittsburgh. He is known for playing cornerback on the outside, but there is certainly a world where he bumps inside if he is traded to the Steelers. He could also be a great mentor to a player like Joey Porter Jr., who has struggled with some aspects of his game up until this point in his career. 

The Steelers likely wouldn't have to give up much in a trade for Ramsey, but that is mainly because of his expensive contract that the team would have to take on. He is due a significant amount of money over the next four years, but his play might be worth it.

Steelers Could Add To Highest-Paid Defense

The Steelers have had the highest-paid defense in the NFL throughout the last four years. There are plenty of stars that get paid a good amount of money within the group, but slot cornerback is a spot the team has never really invested in as of late. The organization let Hilton walk in free agency several years back, although he was a clear reason the defense was so successful. The same happened with Cam Sutton. It is a position Pittsburgh has not prioritized, and now the team is in a spot where it can have a nice reunion, or make a league-altering trade.

Hilton would be significantly cheaper than Ramsey, but Ramsey would likely have a higher impact and is more versatile with where he could play within the defense.

What do you think the Steelers should do at slot cornerback? Let us know in the comments below!

#SteelerNation