Sutton to Steelers, not worried about ‘narrative’

PITTSBURGH — Cornerback Cameron Sutton has signed a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team announced Wednesday.

Sutton’s deal is expected to be for the veteran minimum, league sources told ESPN.

Sutton, 29, who spent the first six years of his career in Pittsburgh, was released by the Detroit Lions earlier this offseason after the issuance of an arrest warrant for a domestic battery charge.

Although he cited the ongoing legal process for not expanding on questions about the arrest warrant and situation surrounding his release from Detroit, Sutton spoke publicly for the first time since that incident after Wednesday’s OTA practice in Pittsburgh.

“My job is not to appeal to someone else,” Sutton said answering a question about his message to fans who might question his alleged actions.

“My job is to be the best version of myself and how do I give that off to the mass or how do I give that off to everyone around me? I’m in full control of that.

“So, I’m never worried about a narrative. I’m never worried about what necessarily people say, because obviously, more than likely, they don’t know me more than anybody else. … It gets back to just your foundation, your morals, who you are individually as a human being and just what you stand on. Holding my head high. Everybody goes through adversity. Everybody goes through things in their life that can change in both directions. So, it’s all about how you stand on that and what you do from that.”

The warrant was issued March 7 after police in Florida responded to a call at a house where Sutton allegedly battered a woman before fleeing the scene. He was released by the Lions on March 21, a day after the team learned of the warrant.

“We’re just moving on,” Lions team president Rod Wood said at league meetings in Orlando, Florida. “I want to make sure everybody knows, we didn’t release him because of anything related to the cap or money that we may owe him. It was the right thing to do for the organization.”

Sutton evaded law enforcement for more than three weeks after the warrant was issued before turning himself in in Hillsborough County (Florida) on March 31.

Although the initial 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, according to the Hillsborough County records.

Sutton said Wednesday that he couldn’t address where things stood with his legal case. He added that he’s been in communication with the league regarding potential discipline if he’s found to have violated the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

“It’s not as much that I can obviously talk about on the legal end or with the league on that stance,” Sutton said. “Whatever it comes down to, we are ready to move on in that direction.”

At the league meetings in March, coach Mike Tomlin was asked if he reaches out to players and former players like Sutton when they’re in trouble.

“I do, but those conversations are between us,” Tomlin said.

Tomlin bristled at a follow-up question asking specifically whether he had been in contact with Sutton.

“That’s none of your business,” he said.

Sutton said he’s been in communication with the Steelers throughout the offseason, but he declined to give specifics of his explanation to the organization about the alleged domestic violence incident.

“It was more of just general check-in, general wellness check-in, just make sure I’m fine, checking in with family, things like that,” Sutton said of his communication with the Steelers. “And then obviously opportunities lead to the next. The team was going through the draft and a lot of earlier seasonal things, and I’m just staying, on my end, just staying ready, staying in shape, running training, doing those things on a day-to-day basis and just ready for a call.

“Obviously that call presented itself, and I’m here now and just ready to keep moving.”

At the time of his release by the Lions, Sutton was one year into a three-year, $33 million deal signed in 2023. Sutton started every game with the Lions in his lone season in Detroit, recording 1 interception, 1 forced fumble and 50 tackles.

Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, one of the lone members of the current Steelers secondary who played with Sutton in Pittsburgh, said he stayed in touch with his former teammate after he signed with the Lions in free agency.

“We all have the stuff that we go through, and I think one of the best things about being in the locker room is that you got 53 or 52 other dudes that can help you get through whatever it is,” Fitzpatrick said. “And Cam is a great dude. We all have our flaws in our situations, but we’re going to embrace him with open arms and treat him like he never left.”

Before signing with Detroit, Sutton was a starting cornerback for the Steelers and racked up three interceptions in his final season in Pittsburgh.

“Adversity strikes everyone in life,” Sutton said. “So, it’s all about how you handle it, how you necessarily go through those phases, and just knowing who you are individually, not letting someone else dim your light.”