With the cornerback position still in a bit of flux for the Pittsburgh Steelers, head coach Mike Tomlin and GM Omar Khan had a meeting last week in Pittsburgh with former Steelers cornerback Cameron Sutton, according to the Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac.
Sutton, who played for the Steelers from 2017-2022, spent the 2023 season with the Detroit Lions after signing a three-year, $33 million deal in free agency. But, after one season in Detroit, Sutton was released following an arrest warrant on domestic violence charges in March.
An arrest warrant was issued in Hillsborough County, Florida, on March 20 for Sutton for domestic violence charges. He was wanted for domestic battery by strangulation charges. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office stated that it had been trying to contact Sutton for a few weeks at the time of the arrest warrant since the alleged March 7 incident but had not been able to locate him.
Sutton turned himself into police on March 31 and was booked on one misdemeanor count of domestic battery before being released. The charge was reduced from a felony, and according to Detroit Free Press reporter Dave Birkett, Sutton was “released on his own recognizance” from jail.
Tomlin, who spoke to reporters at the NFL owners meetings in Orlando in late March, stated that he had reached out to Sutton following the reports of the arrest warrant but declined to elaborate on if he spoke to the cornerback.
“I certainly have, but I’ll just leave that between us,” he said in video that aired on Good Morning Football.
According to Tampa Bay Times reporter Rick Stroud, Hillsborough County deputies found a “battered” woman at Sutton’s home. Sutton then allegedly left the scene and shut his phone off.
According to Bleacher Report NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Sutton released a statement through his attorneys after being released from prison on April 1.
In the statement, Sutton said that he and the mother of his children request privacy in the matter as they view this as a family matter and wish to resolve it as a family.
Sutton is currently in a pre-trial diversion program, according to NBC Sports, and will have to go through a full mental health evaluation and any other possible treatment to resolve the misdemeanor charge. In addition to the pre-trial program, according to NBC Sports, Sutton is in a probationary period and is not allowed to possess any firearms.
Sutton’s deal in free agency last offseason with the Lions included $21 million guaranteed and a $10.9 million signing bonus. His $10.5 million guaranteed was voided due to his arrest. During the 2023 season, Sutton played a key role in Detroit’s secondary, finishing with 65 tackles, one interception, and six passes defensed, helping the Lions reach the NFC Championship Game.
Prior to his time in Detroit, Sutton was a key player for the Steelers for six seasons, working his way up from a depth and special teams piece into a significant starter in his final two seasons.
After trading for cornerback Donte Jackson from the Carolina Panthers in a swap for receiver Diontae Johnson and cutting veteran Patrick Peterson this offseason, the cornerback position remains in a state of flux for the Steelers behind Joey Porter Jr. Though young players in Cory Trice Jr. and Darius Rush are intriguing pieces, they are unproven and might not be ready for an expanded role.
Slot cornerback Chandon Sullivan remains a free agent, too, while James Pierre signed with the Washington Commanders in free agency. Names like Thomas Graham Jr., Luq Barcoo, Kalen Barnes and Josiah Scott are also options at the position currently on the roster, but Pittsburgh needs that true, versatile piece that can play inside and out. That’s what Sutton did during his time in Pittsburgh.
We’ll see if anything transpires from the reported meeting between Khan, Tomlin and Sutton in Pittsburgh last week.
