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The Pittsburgh Steelers are adding a familiar face, but not one that played for the team last season. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac reported on June 5 that the Steelers are meeting with 2017 third-round pick Cameron Sutton and are expected to sign him to a 1-year contract.
Dulac wrote on X (formerly Twitter) the deal will be worth the veteran minimum.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero confirmed that report.
“Reunion: Veteran CB Cam Sutton is signing with the Steelers,” wrote Pelissero on X.
Sutton played six seasons for the Steelers from 2017-22. But after becoming a full-time starter in 2021 and 2022, he left to sign a 3-year, $33 million contract with the Detroit Lions last offseason.
Sutton played just one season in Detroit. The Lions released Sutton on March 21 after the Hillsborough County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office issued a warrant for Sutton’s arrest on suspicion of domestic violence.
With the Lions in 2023, Sutton posted a career-high 65 combined tackles, including 4 for loss. He also had 6 pass defenses and 1 interception.
Over six seasons with the Steelers, Sutton had 168 combined tackles, 38 pass defenses and 8 interceptions in 84 games.
Steelers Adding Veteran CB Cameron Sutton
The Steelers signed veteran cornerback Grayland Arnold on June 4. But in Sutton, Pittsburgh is landing a starting cornerback the team really wanted to keep a year ago.
“We love and think very highly of Cam,” Khan said at the 2023 NFL combine, via The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo. “Conversations have commenced, and we’ll see where it goes.
“Just like all of our other free agents, everything’s on the table. We have a few guys that we obviously would prioritize.”
Sutton earned the highest Pro Football Focus player grade among Steelers cornerbacks during his final season with the team. In that campaign, he played mostly outside but also lined up in the slot and a safety.
The Steelers will likely utilize that versatility in 2024. Pittsburgh is projected to start veteran Donte Jackson opposite Joey Porter Jr. this season. Inexperienced players such as Darius Rush, Beanie Bishop Jr. and Josiah Scott were also expected to man the slot before the Steelers signed Sutton.
The arrival of Sutton likely means the Steelers will not bring back either Patrick Peterson or Chandon Sullivan. Pittsburgh released Peterson after he struggled during the 2023 season. Sullivan played slot cornerback for the Steelers last season, but the team allowed him to depart in free agency.
Pundits speculated throughout the offseason that the Steelers were interested in bringing back one of those veterans for depth.
Sutton’s Troubling 2024 Offseason
While Sutton could be a key addition in the slot for the 2024 Steelers, it’s important to note why he was available and agreed to a minimum deal.
The Detroit News’ Justin Rogers reported on March 20 that Hillsborough County police “made multiple attempts” to contact Sutton but have been unable to reach him. The police contacted Sutton about a domestic incident the cornerback was involved in.
After they were unable to speak to Sutton, the sheriff’s office posted on X that they had issued a warrant for Sutton’s arrest on suspicion of “aggravated battery — domestic violence.”
Upon Heavy Sports’ request for additional information on March 20, officials clarified that Sutton was wanted on suspicion of domestic battery by strangulation, a felony.
CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin reported that Sutton turned himself in to police on April 1. ESPN reported on April 17 that Sutton entered “a pretrial diversion program to resolve his domestic violence case.”
In March, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin received questions about whether he had been in contact with Sutton since police issued his arrest warrant. While Tomlin said he does reach out to former players when they face legal trouble, he strongly declined to answer whether he had contacted Sutton.
“That’s none of your business,” said Tomlin, via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor.
Although it had nothing to do with his release, Sutton also didn’t play particularly well last season. He earned a 52.3 PFF player grade, which was the worst of his career since his rookie season.
Sutton continued to struggle in coverage against the opposition’s top wide receiver during the playoffs. In the 2023 regular season, the Lions finished 27th in pass defense with Sutton as their top cornerback.
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