3 Steelers in danger of losing their starting spots after Week 5

If you thought things were going to improve after a disheartening loss against the Colts in Week 4, you were sorely mistaken. The Pittsburgh Steelers finally took the field after roughly ninety minutes of weather delays only to put up a dud against the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football.

The despicable offensive showing was truly inexcusable, as was what the defense allowed Dak Prescott to do through the air. Though the Steelers had a few notable players who stood above the rest, they also had several pitiful performances against the Cowboys.

Here are three Steelers in danger of losing their starting spots after an abysmal Week 5 outing.

CB Beanie Bishop Jr.

There isn't much room to defend Beanie Bishop at this point. While fans love to show him grace as an undrafted rookie thrown into the fire, the performance -- particularly in pass coverage -- has been disgusting so far.

Cowboys' QB Dak Prescott had no issue finding the weak spot of the defense and exploiting it. This led to Bishop allowing 6 catches on 8 targets for 90 yards. The rookie was also tagged with two costly penalties in this contest.

Outside of a few impressive plays in run support, Bishop has been a detrimental player to Pittsburgh's defense early in the season. Depth options at slot cornerback don't exist for the Steelers at the moment, but don't be shocked if Bishop receives a demotion.

DL Larry Ogunjobi

Despite a heavy financial investment in Larry Ogunjobi (three-year, $28.75 million contract signed in 2023), he hasn't come close to living up to his billing. As has been the case his whole career with the Browns, Bengals, and Steelers, Ogunjobi can create a splash as a pass rusher at times, but his run defense continues to underwhelm.

Ogunjobi was bullied by offensive guard Zach Martin in this contest. This resulted in him seeing just 15 snaps against the Cowboys. Players like Dean Lowry and Isaiahh Loudermilk (while not spectacular) offered more in terms of run defense, and both players came within three snaps of seeing the field more than Ogunjobi.

The snap count distribution proves the Steelers are aware of Ogunjobi's struggles, and it may not be long before the starting defensive lineman is surpassed by others hoping to get a cut of the action.

WR Calvin Austin III

I was really hoping the Steelers could find a way to make Calvin Austin work. With 4.32 speed and explosive play ability, he could have been an asset to this offense. But outside of one strong performance against the Chargers, he hasn't been.

For whatever reason, Austin can't get involved on a consistent basis. Maybe it has something to do with Justin Fields not wanting to target a 5'7 3/4'' receiver on vanilla pass concepts. Austin is seeing starter snaps, but that could quickly change if he doesn't start producing more consistently.