The more things change, the more they stay the same. The have faced a plethora of position battles in 2024, some of which appear to have been decided on a HC issue Preference rather than ability. Tomlin's decision to bring Russell Wilson into the starting conversation a few games late was an example of this, as was his decision to forego rookie WR Roman Wilson's participation earlier in the season when he was healthy. Tomlin is once again waiting for another opportunity to make amends and choose dynamic play over loyalty, but the head coach seems interested in the latter.
While rookie slot cornerback While the start to the 2024 season was electric, the return of veteran slot cornerback Cam Sutton from his suspension complicated things. It appeared Bishop had secured the starting cornerback role regardless of Sutton's return. However, the rookie only appeared on the field for 9.7% of the defensive snaps in Week 13, while Sutton took over the slot cornerback duties and played over 70% of the snaps on defense. Sutton would give up two touchdowns in the contest, while Bishop hasn't given up a touchdown since Week 6.
Tomlin tried to make it clear that this was a matchup issue, but previous roster decisions he has made may tell a different story.
Mike Tomlin says the “complexity” of what the Bengals are doing is why Cam Sutton played in the slot more often than Beanie Bishop. He wanted a veteran there.
But that doesn't mean Bishop won't be taking most of the snaps over the next few weeks.
— Nick Farabaugh (@FarabaughFB)
Will Bishop get his chance to win back the starting job he never should have lost? Or is that another circumstance about talent?
