NFL

REPORT: The Steelers pressured the former 49ers 39-game starter to sign “now.”

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3 months ago

August 20, 2024

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The Steelers pressured the former 49ers 39-game starter to sign “now.”

Nickel cornerback for the Pittsburgh Steelers has started to sustain injuries. Projected starter Beanie Bishop Jr. missed the second preseason game due to a hamstring ailment, while veteran Grayland Arnold was placed on injured reserve with a calf injury. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to add further competition for the undrafted rookie Bishop after Arnold’s loss, even though Bishop is not anticipated to be gone for very long. K’Waun Williams, a veteran cornerback, is one free agent to consider.

On August 19, Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report urged the Steelers to sign Williams “immediately.” Ballentine stated, “Undrafted free agent Beanie Bishop Jr. looks to be on track to start for the Steelers at slot cornerback.” “It’s an exciting tale for the 24-year-old and a chance for Pittsburgh to perhaps uncover a hidden gem.” Nonetheless, depending on a UDFA from Week 1 is still a little unsettling.

“There aren’t a lot of great slot options left on the free-agent market, but it might be worth it to see what K’Waun Williams looks like,” the NFL analyst conceded. “The slot specialist was cleared in March after missing the entire previous season due to a foot injury,” he continued. K’Waun Williams Would Provide Experience from the Steelers’ Regular Season and Playoffs

In the event that Bishop falters or if this hamstring problem persists, having some experience would be helpful. Williams would supply that if he were healthy and prepared to play again. With the San Francisco 49ers from 2017 to 2021, the 33-year-old defensive back truly came into his own after starting 36 games during the regular season as an undrafted rookie with the Cleveland Browns in 2014. In 2022, he played with the Denver Broncos for his most recent season.

When you add it all up, Williams has participated in more than 100 regular-season games, 54 of which he has started. Over that time, he has broke up 34 passes with 5 interceptions, 11 forced fumbles, 8.0 sacks, and 23 tackles for a loss. Williams participated in six playoff games while with the Niners, starting three of them. In the postseason, he had four pass breakups, one interception, one forced fumble, one sack, and one tackle for a loss.

Williams may be worth a tryout even though he is older now and has been out of action for a year. After all, on August 16, Steelers beat writer Mark Kaboly said that if Bishop doesn’t prove he’s ready in the remaining weeks of the preseason, Pittsburgh might still “go shopping” in the slot. Steelers Head Coach Following his injury absence, Mike Tomlin says Beanie Bishop has a “big week ahead of him.”

Bishop’s hamstring restricted him during joint sessions, so the Steelers chose to hold him out against the Buffalo Bills, head coach Mike Tomlin informed reporters following the team’s second preseason game. We didn’t want a minor issue to turn into a major issue because Beanie was a little bit limited during our most recent workday here on Thursday against Buffalo, he explained.

“It’s evident that the sand is passing through the hourglass, and he has a busy week ahead of him,” the Steelers head coach said. “However, we didn’t want to risk or compromise that, so we acted sensibly tonight and didn’t let him play.”

Tomlin’s report suggests that Bishop should return to practice this week, but it also suggests that the slot cornerback position is still up for grabs. The UDFA in his first year has “a big week ahead of him.” Does that imply that the Steelers would still think about starting a veteran in his place?