The recent news of the Pittsburgh Steelers signing veteran cornerback Cameron Sutton to a one-year, veteran minimum contract in the midst of his legal situation following an arrest on a domestic violence warrant was certainly concerning for the team,. For head coach Mike Tomlin, the relationship with the cornerback and the due diligence done led to comfort in the Steelers making the move.
Speaking with reporters Tuesday following the first mandatory minicamp practice just one day after signing his three-year extension, Tomlin cited that relationship with Sutton as to why the team ultimately made the move to sign him.
“It’s not any conversations that we had recently. It’s the totality of our relationship,” Tomlin said of Sutton, according to video via Mike DeFabo of The Athletic on Twitter. “I met this guy in Knoxville, man, six, seven years ago, whatever it was, when he came outta school. He’s a great guy. He loves football. That is probably the totality of our relationship.
“And I think I probably represent the sentiment of the organization in saying that it’s less about specific conversations, particularly of late, and it’s about the relationship established over a longer period of time.”
According to a tweet from the Post-Gazette’s Brian Batko, Tomlin cited the “totality of the relationship” between the Steelers and Sutton that spanned six seasons before he signed with the Detroit Lions last offseason, which led to that comfort in ultimately signing him.
Mike Tomlin on the decision to bring in Cam Sutton: pic.twitter.com/SzFoHWZR2Y
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) June 11, 2024
After coming out of the 2024 NFL Draft with defensive back Ryan Watts in the sixth round and not really adding another impact cornerback outside of a trade for Donte Jackson in the offseason, the Steelers kept tabs on Sutton after he was released from the Lions following the March 20 arrest warrant on a domestic violence charge in Hillsborough County, Florida.
The Steelers reportedly met with Sutton a week before the draft and the ultimately circled back and signed with him last week late in Organized Team Activities, shoring up their cornerback depth chart.
That relationship with Sutton mattered in the end, even as he is going through legal troubles stemming from his arrest, which saw a felony charge ultimately reduced to a misdemeanor battery.
That legal situation had the Steelers “concerned” according to Tomlin. But ultimately, they felt comfortable with the due diligence that they did on Sutton.
“Certainly, certainly. That’s just due diligence. That’s what’s supposed to happen,” Tomlin said regarding the concern, according to video via DeFabo. In a follow-up question regarding his comfort with the signing of Sutton and the due diligence done, Tomlin stated he was obviously comfortable considering Sutton is a Steeler.
Sutton spent the first six seasons of his NFL career in Pittsburgh after being a third-round draft pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. The Tennessee product left the Steelers ahead of the 2023 season, signing a three-year, $33 million deal in free agency with the Lions. After one season, Sutton was released after an arrest warrant on domestic violence charges was issued for him in March.
That arrest warrant was issued on March 20, Sutton 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 following 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.
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.
Sutton spoke with the media last week following an OTAs session on the same day he signed and stated that he was hoping to put his best foot forward in his second chance in the NFL and was grateful to land with the Steelers.
However, he didn’t exactly help himself with his comments, calling it “adversity” he was going through. He will likely face some sort of discipline from the NFL for his arrest, discipline the Steelers likely knew all about before being comfortable making the move to sign him.
Comfort was there with the person based on six years working together, but that legal situation is concerning. The Steelers better hope their due diligence was good enough.
