The Pittsburgh Steelers are adding a familiar face to their secondary, signing free agent cornerback Cameron Sutton to a one-year contract for the veteran minimum.
Steelers are indeed expected to sign CB Cam Sutton to a one-year deal for the vet minimum, sources confirm to ESPN.
Sutton is in the building in Pittsburgh this morning. He was released by the Lions earlier this offseason after an arrest warrant was issued for domestic battery.
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) June 5, 2024
Sutton was drafted by the Steelers in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft, and had a career-high three interceptions in 2022 before signing a three-year, $33 million deal with the Detroit Lions ahead of the 2023 campaign. He will now be joining a cornerback room that is youthful in its talent. Joey Porter Jr, Cory Trice, and Darius Rush are all entering their second seasons in the league, while Beanie Bishop is a rookie. Donte Jackson and Anthony Averett are the two most established veterans on the team.
That said, the current focus won’t be on Sutton as a player or scheme fit because of the trouble he got in earlier this year. The Lions released Sutton earlier this offseason after he turned himself into police following a warrant being issued for his arrest for alleged involvement in a domestic violence case where he was accused of hitting and choking his girlfriend to the point of unconsciousness. The warrant initially charged Sutton with a felony, but he was formally charged with misdemeanor battery. It goes without say that such an act is disgusting, it’s indefensible, and will all but certainly cause Sutton to face suspension by the NFL.
So, once again, we are in that weird spot where we can point out that Sutton fills a need for the Steelers and gives them an established nickel cornerback that has been successful in this defense before and unquestionably makes them better. But the other very relevant questions not related to football will be, and should be asked. Anytime someone is accused of domestic violence, those questions of ‘Is this a good idea?’ or ‘Should the team really be doing this and can they trust this guy?’ will rightfully be asked, and the Steelers can’t run from them.
