On April 27, 2024, Beanie Bishop sat in Louisville, Kentucky, surrounded by the people who had been with him through it all, waiting for his name to be called on Day 3 of the NFL Draft. As the Pittsburgh Steelers approached their final pick, the tension in the room grew heavier, and so did the doubt. When that moment passed without his name, Bishop couldn’t take it anymore. He quietly got up and walked out, carrying a feeling he knew all too well: disappointment. It was another reminder of the label that had followed him his entire career. Too small, too undersized. At 5-foot-9 and 182 pounds, it felt like the opportunities he had fought for were slipping away once again.

Just when it felt like everything was done, Bishop’s phone suddenly lit up. The Steelers wanted to bring him in as an undrafted free agent. Hope rushed back in, but it didn’t stay for long. Bishop was eventually released by the franchise, forcing him to start over yet again before landing with the New Orleans Saints. There, he showed enough in practice to earn a training camp opportunity after the season. It was a small victory in a long fight. And still, despite every step forward, another chapter of disappointment now looms: a three-game suspension.

“New Orleans Saints defensive back Beanie Bishop was suspended for the first three games of the 2026 season, according to the NFL’s transaction wire,” Matthew Paras of The New Orleans Times-Picayune wrote on X. “The league did not list a reason for Bishop’s ban, but a source with knowledge of the situation said it stemmed from a violation of the substances of abuse policy.”

No further details about the violation are available. But players who are suspended can still take part in offseason workouts, attend training camp, and suit up for preseason games without restriction. However, Bishop will be barred from appearing in the first three games of the regular season. Could this hurt his future in the league?

Bishop was expected to be in the mix to take over the slot role previously held by Alontae Taylor in Brandon Staley’s nickel scheme. While his three-game suspension at the start of the season isn’t ideal, it’s unlikely to significantly damage his chances. With a long season ahead, the Saints could be willing to wait it out if they believe he is the right fit by September.

On January 5, he had re-signed a reserve/future contract with the New Orleans team. And though things haven’t always worked out in his favor, he still comes with some level of experience from playing in the league. Back in 2024, during his time with the Steelers, he appeared in 17 games for the franchise and started six of them.

He ended the season with four interceptions, 45 combined tackles, and one QB hit. Now he will have to wait for his suspension to end. But anyone who has followed his career until now knows that the suspension will only ignite the fire within him.

“There were teams that could have got me that obviously passed, so it just added more fuel,” Bishop said in 2025, talking about how teams did not draft him. “So I’m essentially setting the league on fire, bro, whenever I get to play again. So that’s just how I look at it, just add more motivation, fuel to the fire, so.”

For now, the player will take part in the Saints’ offseason activities, training camp, and preseason schedule. However, such suspensions have happened before. For instance, in December 2025, it was announced that Ravens guard Ben Cleveland was suspended for three games (without pay) after he violated the league’s Substances of Abuse Policy. The suspension came after the player’s DUI arrest in Georgia.

As a result, Cleveland missed the games against the Bengals, Patriots, and the Packers.

But coming back to Beanie Bishop, while more information about his violation is not available, it is something he will hope to leave behind as soon as possible. After all, he proved himself during his rookie year, and his future only ought to be better.

Beanie Bishop made the most of his opportunities in 2024

Bishop defied expectations in his rookie season, not only earning a spot on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 53-man roster as an undrafted free agent but also emerging as a meaningful contributor on the defensive side of the ball.

After going undrafted in 2024, Bishop entered the league out of West Virginia, carrying the sting of being overlooked, and he turned that frustration into fuel as he began his professional journey.

“That chip will never leave,” said Bishop in 2025. “Honestly, even when I’m done playing football, I will always feel that I have something to prove because somewhere out there is always somebody that still doesn’t believe in me.”

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That edge only sharpened once he stepped into Pittsburgh’s takeaway-driven culture, where Bishop fully bought into the mindset. Every interception came with a reward: a ‘Culture’ T-shirt that changed color as the takeaways piled up. By the time he notched four picks, Bishop had climbed all the way to ‘black belt’ status in the art of forcing turnovers.

“Being able to get those takeaways, the shirts are an extra incentive for us guys, and being able to get a black belt. I’ve got a black belt at home now,” the player said.

In fact, under the bright lights of Monday night in Week 8 against the New York Giants, it was Bishop who delivered when it mattered most. He stepped in front of a Daniel Jones pass at the Steelers’ 29-yard line with just 34 seconds remaining to seal a 26-18 victory. By the final whistle, he had filled up the stat sheet with five tackles, including three solo stops, to go along with the game-clinching interception.

Now, we only have to wait and watch how Bishop makes the most of his opportunity with the Saints.