The Pittsburgh Steelers’ move to re-sign veteran cornerback Cameron Sutton wasn’t all that surprising last week. They reunited with a cornerback they know well and got him at a discount.
That discount comes with some concerns though. Sutton was signed to a one-year, veteran minimum contract due to his legal troubles following a March arrest warrant on domestic violence charges, which were reduced to misdemeanor battery charges after his arrest.
Ultimately though, Sutton violated the Collective Bargaining Agreement’s personal conduct policy, which should lead to a suspension from the NFL. The length and timing of that suspension remains unknown, but for Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, who appeared on the 93.7 The Fan PM Show with Andrew Fillipponi and Chris Mueller, the Steelers will be without Sutton for a chunk of the season.
“There’s a specific process in place for determining the punishment. That’s something that’s gonna happen before the start of the season,” Florio said of the Sutton discipline, according to audio via 93.7 The Fan. “And I think they had to bring him back knowing that they’re not gonna have him for a chunk of the season.
“Six games, maybe eight, maybe 10, we’ll find out. But I think it’s something that gets resolved before Week 1.”
As part of the NFL, all personnel are required to avoid “conduct detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in the National Football League.” Sutton’s arrest in March in Hillsborough County, Florida violated the NFL’s personal conduct policy, making him susceptible to a suspension once the league’s investigation into the matter is complete.
Based on the CBA, that could cover quite a few games, depending on how the NFL views the domestic violence incident.
Head coach Mike Tomlin stated that the Steelers were “concerned” with Sutton’s legal situation, but they ultimately felt their due diligence gave them confidence to bring the veteran back to Pittsburgh. After one season with the Detroit Lions, where he signed a three-year, $33 million deal in free agency ahead of the 2023 season, Sutton was released after the arrest warrant on domestic violence charges was issued for him in March.
Sutton’s arrest warrant was issued on March 20, stating he was wanted for domestic battery by strangulation charges, and that police had been trying to contact Sutton for a few weeks following the alleged March 7 incident but had not been able to locate him.
The veteran cornerback 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.
Though the charge was reduced to misdemeanor, the alleged details of the incident are rather ugly, which could play into Sutton’s potential suspension.
According to Tampa Bay Times reporter Rick Stroud, Hillsborough County deputies found a “battered” woman at Sutton’s home. Sutton allegedly left the scene and shut his phone off. Sutton then turned himself in on March 31 and was released from jail later that day. He put out a statement through his attorney asking for privacy for him and his family on the matter and shortly afterwards entered into a pre-trial diversion program, according to NBC Sports.
For now, the Steelers are preparing as if Sutton will have a big role right away in their secondary. But that suspension is looming. Chances are, the Steelers had a good idea of the general length of the suspension before signing Sutton, but ultimately it will come down to what is handed down from the league.
