However, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk remained unimpressed with the signing. Florio chastised the Steelers for signing Sutton only two and a half months after he fled the law.
“I don’t understand what the Steelers are doing here. Other than saying, “We had this guy for six years, and we got him cheap.” He’s a starting cornerback, and we acquired him inexpensively. We’ll just deal with this stuff. “It’s a lot of crap,” Florio stated on June 6. “It’s a horrible look for the Steelers to give this guy a second opportunity.
“As we always say, talent will earn you a second opportunity. “If this guy was a scrub, he’d never make it back into the league.”
On March 20, the Hillsborough County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office issued an arrest warrant for Sutton on domestic violence charges. The following day, Justin Rogers of The Detroit News claimed that police “made multiple attempts” to contact Sutton but were unable to reach him.
The Detroit Lions released Sutton the next day. He remained at large for another ten days before turning himself in to police.
Sutton was charged with misdemeanour battery and subsequently attended a pretrial diversion program.
On June 5, the Steelers signed him to a one-year deal. Sutton played the first six seasons of his career in Pittsburgh.
Florio also chastised Sutton for his first comments to the media following his return to the organization that selected him.
“It’s an opinion-based world,” Sutton told reporters on June 5, as reported by Jarrett Bailey of SB Nation’s Behind the Steel Curtain. “Everyone moves based on a sense of presence or space to communicate, rather than knowing. That’s give and take, whatever it goes. My job isn’t to appeal to anyone else.
“My job is to be the best version of myself, and how can I project that to the rest of the world or everyone around me? I am completely in charge of that. I’m never concerned about the narrative.”
Steelers Edited Cameron Sutton’s remarks
Sutton went on to explain his message to supporters about his ongoing presence in the league following his domestic violence incident. Florio objected strongly to Sutton’s remarks.
Florio may have had an even bigger problem with the Steelers’ decision to remove those words from their YouTube version of Sutton’s first 2024 OTA interview.
Due to time constraints, the Steelers (and other NFL teams) frequently edit player interviews during non-press conferences. However, the only answer that appeared to be missing from Sutton’s interview was the final question, to which he provided this response.
“I’m never concerned about what other people say because, most likely, they don’t know me better than anyone else. Do you understand what I mean? And again, it comes down to your foundation, your principles, who you are as a human being, and what you stand for,” Sutton said, according to Bailey. “I’m holding my head high. Again, everybody faces difficulties. Everybody experiences events in their lives that can change in both directions.
“So it’s all about how you stand on that and what you do with it. And, as I previously stated, I am eager to continue progressing in the right direction. Everything else will come into place, and we will simply move on from there.”
On June 5, Sutton used the word “adversity” in his earlier statement to media. Florio objected strongly to the use of that word.
“He virtually describes himself as a victim. ‘We all face difficulties.’ Florio stated that “some adversity is set upon us.” “Some adversity we create by the things we do.”
Sutton might receive more than a six-game suspension.
Chris Simms commented to Florio by suggesting that the Steelers may be “playing the long game” with Sutton. Sutton’s domestic violence incident could result in a 6-game suspension this season. However, after his comeback, Sutton will return for the second half of the season.
That is, assuming the NFL does not punish Sutton for more than six games. Florio suggested that was a possibility.
“There are aggravating elements that could increase [a ban] beyond six games. According to the probable cause affidavit, during the argument that resulted in the charges, Sutton picked up his longtime girlfriend and the mother of his three children, slammed her into a wall, bit her on the neck, leaving a quarter-sized abrasion that bled, grabbed the woman by the face and neck, and choked her, causing her to briefly lose consciousness,” Florio said. “The altercation went into the living room of the residence, where Sutton held the woman down by her hair and punched her twice with his fist, causing a knot to form on her forehead.
“Repeated striking, choking, or any other incident involving minors. Three aggravating factors from the personal conduct policy push that number above six.”
The Steelers should presume Sutton will be suspended for at least six games. But it is unclear when the league will reach its ultimate judgment.
Should the NFL launch its own inquiry, Sutton’s sentence may be postponed. It is possible that Sutton will not be suspended until the 2025 season.
However, the veteran cornerback will most certainly miss games due to a violation of the NFL’s personal conduct rules.
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