The Pittsburgh Steelers completed their practice squad Wednesday with the signing of undrafted safety Bishop Fitzgerald.
“Fitzgerald played his final season of college football at USC where he earned first-team All-America honors and led the Big Ten in interception with five, while being ranked second nationally,” wrote Steelers.com’s Teresa Varley. “Fitzgerald also spent two seasons at North Carolina and started his college career at Coffeyville Community College.”
After going unselected in the 2026 NFL Draft, Fitzgerald signed with the Tennessee Titans. He didn’t make the team’s roster on cutdown day on August 30.
Before he went undrafted, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein gave him a fifth-round projection. During the NFL Draft process, Zierlein raved about Fitzgerald’s playmaking ability and versatility.
“Compact, ballhawking safety prospect with alignment versatility,” Zierlein wrote. “Fitzgerald’s consistency of execution is quite different in coverage versus run support. In coverage, he is assignment-oriented, displaying an adequate mix of route balance and response quickness.
“He’s clear-eyed to recognize takeaway opportunities and has the ball skills to flip the field. He can match underneath but might not have the speed to stay in-phase if the route travels deep.
“As a run defender, Fitzgerald plays with urgency but issues diagnosing the play and suspect pursuit angles have led to chunk runs, creating an imbalance that affects his draft grade.”
On Monday, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported the Steelers planned to sign safety Juanyeh Thomas to their practice squad. With one practice squad spot left after Tuesday’s signings, pundits theorized the last spot would be for Thomas.
Instead, the Steelers are adding the undrafted safety.
Steelers Sign Safety Bishop Fitzgerald to Practice Squad
Steelers Announce Adding ‘Ballhawking’ Versatile Safety