Overreactions from Steelers Nation: Re-signing Cameron Sutton
Welcome to my weekly edition of “Overreactions from Steelers Nation” a weekly column where I poke fun at fans, reporters, and so-called experts while trying to figure out if some of these hot takes are real – or just for attention.
The Pittsburgh Steelers made headlines last week by bringing back former cornerback Cameron Sutton. Sutton, who was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in third round the of the 2017 NFL Draft played became of fixture with the franchise through the 2022 season. He appeared in 84 games but was lured away as a free agent to the Detroit Lions last offseason, where he signed a three-year contract for $33 million.
The signing made front page news, not because of the reunion, rather the circumstances surrounding Sutton’s off-field issues. Sutton’s name surfaced around news media back in April when he evaded local authorities for several weeks on an arrest warrant, before turning himself in.
The initial warrant charged Sutton with a felony, but according to official releases, he was formally charged with misdemeanor batter. Sutton was released from jail shortly after on his own recognizance.
The Lions released Sutton upon the news of this incident and it was believed his NFL days were over. However, reports of Sutton meeting with the Pittsburgh Steelers surfaced last month. No further information from this meeting leaked until the team announced they signed their former cornerback at the end of last week.
That’s where my commentary on Sutton’s offseason picks up as fans are on both side of the fence about him getting a second chance in the NFL.
For some fans, Sutton is guilty due to the accusation. Make no mistake about it, in today’s league allegations of this nature are a death sentence for a football career: or are they?
Tyreek Hill, Joe Mixon, Adrian Peterson, and Ezekiel Elliott are among several players with similar off-field issues on their resume. Even former Steelers Antonio Brown and Ben Roethlisberger have had their run-ins with domestic issues. Yet, all of these players continued their careers beyond the collegiate or pro levels after which these allegations and/or charges surfaced.
Then, of course, there’s the saga of Cleveland Brown’s quarterback Deshaun Watson, who faced over two dozen sexual misconduct allegations along with numerous penalties from the NFL for his conduct. Cleveland did all but rollout the red carpet for Watson amidst his legal troubles.
Pointing these players and circumstances out isn’t to say one is any better than other, but instead sheds a light on how we as fans view varying degrees of misconduct depending on the allegation and who is involved. I sympathize with the victims of these situations. I understand the viewpoint of fans who find these actions reprehensible. Yet, at the same time, the NFL is a business and its members will turn over every stone to put the best team possible on the field.
That’s where the Steelers and Sutton intersect. While it’s easy to place judgment and make kneejerk reactions based on the perception of the situation, Sutton and his family have requested to handle the matter privately.
“Both Mr. Sutton and the mother of his children request privacy in this matter, as they view this as a family matter and wish to resolve it as a family,” Sutton’s attorneys, Todd Foster and Jason Setchen, said in a statement released to multiple media outlets upon his release.
Because of this, little more is known about what happened which makes it difficult to come to an informed opinion over the Steelers decision to bring back Sutton. Since this is now a private matter within Sutton’s family, are we to judge when perhaps forgiveness has already been made and cooler heads have prevailed internally?
Again, there’s likely no right or wrong answer, but as expected, some fans are not thrilled with the signing. They have slandered Sutton and the Steelers. However, do we believe that the Steelers didn’t do their diligence before re-signing Sutton? It would be irresponsible to believe otherwise.
The Steelers met with Sutton personally, including principle members of the organization including head coach Mike Tomlin, before making the decision to bring him back. That, in and of itself, should be enough for fans to move forward. This is, after all, a Steelers team that has had very low tolerance for poor behavior.
No, we’re not talking about smoking a plant (that, by the way, no longer gets players suspended). We’re talking about a team that has sent some previous players home after they walked on thin ice and broke through. Former safety Kameron Kelly and running back Karlos Williams are two recent examples of players on the bottom end of the roster who were released from the team.
Williams, in particular, was brought on after brother Vince Williams convinced the Steelers to take a look following Karlos’ four-game suspension due to substance abuse and subsequent release from the Buffalo Bills. While Williams didn’t work out, Sutton gets an opportunity with the team who drafted him. The Steelers have a need for a slot cornerback, and depending on the play of newly acquired outside cornerback Donte Jackson, have a lack of depth behind him and top option Joey Porter Jr.
Sutton’s signing is a second chance based on privileged information between the player and the team, while filling a need. If his behavior proves to be a one-off mistake, and the 29-year-old reignites his career with the team who drafted him, the chance can prove to be beneficial for both parties.
If not, the Steelers aren’t stuck with anything but offering that chance. Sutton was signed to a one-year, league minimum deal with no guaranteed money. It’s a prove-it deal, the same that’s offered for older veterans or players returning from injury.
For the moment, we also don’t know all of the circumstances surrounding Sutton’s warrant. Presumably, there could further penalties coming from the league, but that’s unknown at this time.
The only thing we can do is make assumptions about Sutton and the situation surrounding him and his family. That’s unsafe and potentially unfair. However, the only safe assumption we can make is that the Steelers are not making the same assumptions. If we trust how Art Rooney II runs his organization, then we should feel as comfortable as he does with Sutton’s signing.
