PITTSBURGH — Cornerback Cameron Sutton has signed a one-year cope with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the staff introduced Wednesday.
Sutton’s deal is predicted to be for the veteran minimal, league sources instructed ESPN.
Sutton, 29, who spent the primary six years of his profession in Pittsburgh, was launched by the Detroit Lions earlier this offseason after the issuance of an arrest warrant for a home battery cost.
Though he cited the continuing authorized course of for not increasing on questions concerning the arrest warrant and state of affairs surrounding his launch from Detroit, Sutton spoke publicly for the primary time since that incident after Wednesday’s OTA apply in Pittsburgh.
“My job is to not attraction to another person,” Sutton mentioned answering a query about his message to followers who would possibly query his alleged actions.
“My job is to be the perfect model of myself and the way do I give that off to the mass or how do I give that off to everybody round me? I am in full management of that.
“So, I am by no means apprehensive a couple of narrative. I am by no means apprehensive about what essentially folks say, as a result of clearly, greater than probably, they do not know me greater than anyone else. … It will get again to only your basis, your morals, who you’re individually as a human being and simply what you stand on. Holding my head excessive. All people goes via adversity. All people goes via issues of their life that may change in each instructions. So, it is all about the way you stand on that and what you do from that.”
The warrant was issued March 7 after police in Florida responded to a name at a home the place Sutton allegedly battered a girl earlier than fleeing the scene. He was launched by the Lions on March 21, a day after the staff discovered of the warrant.
“We’re simply transferring on,” Lions staff president Rod Wooden mentioned at league conferences in Orlando, Florida. “I wish to make sure that all people is aware of, we did not launch him due to something associated to the cap or cash that we could owe him. It was the suitable factor to do for the group.”
Sutton evaded regulation enforcement for greater than three weeks after the warrant was issued earlier than turning himself in in Hillsborough County (Florida) on March 31.
Though the preliminary warrant charged him with a felony, Sutton was formally charged with misdemeanor battery. Sutton entered a pretrial diversion program in April to resolve his case, in accordance with the Hillsborough County information.
Sutton mentioned Wednesday that he could not tackle the place issues stood along with his authorized case. He added that he is been in communication with the league relating to potential self-discipline if he is discovered to have violated the NFL’s private conduct coverage.
“It isn’t as a lot that I can clearly speak about on the authorized finish or with the league on that stance,” Sutton mentioned. “No matter it comes right down to, we’re prepared to maneuver on in that path.”
On the league conferences in March, coach Mike Tomlin was requested if he reaches out to gamers and former gamers like Sutton after they’re in hassle.
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“I do, however these conversations are between us,” Tomlin mentioned.
Tomlin bristled at a follow-up query asking particularly whether or not he had been involved with Sutton.
“That is none of what you are promoting,” he mentioned.
Sutton mentioned he is been in communication with the Steelers all through the offseason, however he declined to provide specifics of his clarification to the group concerning the alleged home violence incident.
“It was extra of simply normal check-in, normal wellness check-in, simply make sure that I am nice, checking in with household, issues like that,” Sutton mentioned of his communication with the Steelers. “After which clearly alternatives result in the subsequent. The staff was going via the draft and quite a lot of earlier seasonal issues, and I am simply staying, on my finish, simply staying prepared, staying in form, operating coaching, doing these issues on a day-to-day foundation and simply prepared for a name.
“Clearly that decision offered itself, and I am right here now and simply able to hold transferring.”
On the time of his launch by the Lions, Sutton was one yr right into a three-year, $33 million deal signed in 2023. Sutton began each sport with the Lions in his lone season in Detroit, recording 1 interception, 1 compelled fumble and 50 tackles.
Security Minkah Fitzpatrick, one of many lone members of the present Steelers secondary who performed with Sutton in Pittsburgh, mentioned he stayed in contact along with his former teammate after he signed with the Lions in free company.
“All of us have the stuff that we undergo, and I believe among the best issues about being within the locker room is that you just received 53 or 52 different dudes that may assist you to get via no matter it’s,” Fitzpatrick mentioned. “And Cam is a good dude. All of us have our flaws in our conditions, however we’ll embrace him with open arms and deal with him like he by no means left.”
Earlier than signing with Detroit, Sutton was a beginning cornerback for the Steelers and racked up three interceptions in his remaining season in Pittsburgh.
“Adversity strikes everybody in life,” Sutton mentioned. “So, it is all about the way you deal with it, the way you essentially undergo these phases, and simply realizing who you’re individually, not letting another person dim your gentle.”
