Cam Sutton is once again a Pittsburgh Steeler, ready to help the team in 2024. But there’s no guarantee the NFL will allow him to play all 17 games this season. Though Sutton is no longer facing felony charges for domestic battery against his girlfriend, reduced to a misdemeanor, Roger Goodell could still step in and suspend Sutton based on the NFL’s domestic violence policy. Analyst and former lawyer Mike Florio weighed in on what the league could do.Â
“If he goes into a pretrial diversion program, then he is subject to discipline,” Florio told 93.7 The Fan’s Andrew Fillipponi and Chris Mueller. “But again, you have to ask the question of how aggressively the alleged victim will cooperate. They’re gonna be left with whatever the facts are that he’s admitted to in order to get into that diversion program.”
Florio graduated from West Virginia’s law school and practiced as a lawyer until 2009 when NBC Sports partnered with Pro Football Talk.
As part of having his felony charge dropped, Sutton agreed to enter a pretrial diversion program. Per its conditions via ESPN, he isn’t allowed to contact the victim or own a firearm and must undergo a mental health evaluation. It’s not clear what level of guilt, if any, Sutton has to admit to as part of the program. And that could play a key role in determining if the NFL suspends him.
“If he had to admit [the affidavit] is true as part of the terms of entering in the diversion program, if those facts become established and proven without requiring the alleged victim to cooperate, then that’s going to set him up for potential discipline,” Florio said.
The Tampa Bay Times shared details of the affidavit on April 3.
“During the argument, Sutton picked up the woman and slammed her into a wall, then bit her on the neck, leaving a quarter-sized abrasion that bled, the affidavit states. Sutton then grabbed the woman by the face and neck and choked her, causing her to briefly lose consciousness, according to the affidavit.
The altercation continued into the living room of the home, where Sutton held down the woman by her hair and struck her twice with his fist, causing a knot to form on the woman’s forehead, the affidavit states.”
At the time his charges were dropped to a misdemeanor, Sutton’s attorneys issued a statement saying Sutton and the mother of his children hoped to resolve the matter privately going forward. Meaning, the NFL’s investigation may be limited to whatever information comes from the diversion program. Florio explained that should Sutton complete the program, his record will be wiped clean as if these incidents never occurred.
Still, the league has broad authority to levy whatever punishment it sees fit. Following mistakes in handling Ray Rice’s domestic violence incident, the NFL created a policy that suspends players six games for domestic violence. But the league has shown the ability to increase or decrease that number based on circumstances. Ultimately, Mike Florio did not offer an affirmative that the league would suspend Sutton, but he certainly sees it on the table.
It’s impossible to predict how the NFL will act going forward. It has yet to comment since Sutton signed with the Steelers Wednesday morning. But the league certainly seems to have grounds to hand down some level of suspension against Sutton. It might be a matter of if the NFL weighs in before or after the season. Still, Pittsburgh must be prepared to replace him before the season begins.
