Cam Sutton’s eight-game suspension fell on the heavier end of the NFL’s expected punishment for the domestic battery allegations against him earlier this year. But to some the punishment wasn’t harsh enough. Reacting to the news earlier this week, former NFL linebacker Will Compton said it was “absolutely insane” that Sutton will only miss the first half of the season.
Compton played linebacker from 2013-2021 and now co-hosts the Bussin’ With the Boys podcast along with retired offensive tackle Taylor Lewan.
In an affidavit, Sutton is charged with hitting, biting, and choking his girlfriend. From The Tampa Bay Times, which provided details:
“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.”
Fleeing the scene, Florida police issued an arrest warrant. Sutton turned himself in three weeks later, released by the Detroit Lions during that time on the run. His felony charges were eventually reduced to a misdemeanor, and he entered a pretrial diversion program. Should he follow all of the program’s steps, his record will effectively be wiped clean.
Adopted after the Ray Rice incident, the NFL’s default domestic violence suspension is six games. The league can subtract or add based on mitigating or aggravating circumstances. It chose the latter, tacking on two additional games. Sutton’s ban matches the one RB Kareem Hunt received in 2019. Because of Pittsburgh’s Week 9 bye, Sutton won’t be eligible to play until Week 10 against the Washington Commanders.
While Compton doesn’t make the direct point, others have noted the disparity between the “crime” and the punishment. Players who gamble on football can be suspended for a full season. Even those who break a more minor part of the rules, like betting in an unauthorized location (team facility or team hotel, for example) can miss nearly as much time as Sutton.
But the league has these punishments codified into the CBA. In regard to gambling, the league has always taken a hard stance against players betting even dating back to stars Paul Hornung and Alex Karras, who were suspended for an entire year in 1963 for gambling. The NFL has a particular interest in avoiding hints or appearances its game is rigged and the harsh punishments reflect it.
Compton still has a valid point to make about how the NFL handles domestic violence cases. But given all the information in Sutton’s situation and the strides the league has made in tougher punishments over the years, eight games are a hefty and fair number to suspend him for.
