PITTSBURGH (AP) — Cameron Sutton is getting a second chance in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The club signed the veteran defensive back to a one-year deal on Wednesday, more than two months after the Detroit Lions released Sutton for his involvement in an alleged domestic violence incident in Florida.
Sutton eventually surrendered to authorities and entered a pretrial diversion program in April after the charges were reduced from a felony to misdemeanor battery. His agreement with prosecutors required Sutton to take a mental health evaluation.
The 29-year-old participated in organized team activities shortly after the deal was announced, though he declined to get into specifics about what led to his arrest or any potential punishment that the NFL could levy if it finds he violated the league's personal conduct policy.
“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.”
The 29-year-old Sutton spent the first six seasons of his career with the Steelers before signing a three-year deal with Detroit last spring.
He said several members of the Pittsburgh organization reached out in recent months and the dialogue evolved to the point the team felt comfortable offering him another opportunity in a place he knows well.
“(They) were just checking in on my wellbeing, just making sure I’m okay,” he said. “And then from a business standpoint, just seeing what the next opportunity would be, and we’re here now and just ready to put my best foot forward.”
Sutton excelled during his time with Pittsburgh, who relied on his versatility to play him at both cornerback and nickelback positions. He played in 84 games during his first stint with the Steelers from 2017-22, picking off eight passes.
Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick described Sutton as “another piece on the chess board.”
“Cam is a great dude,” Fitzpatrick said. "We all have our flaws and our situations, but we’re going to embrace him with open arms and treat him like he never left.”
Pittsburgh is searching for proven secondary depth to play opposite Joey Porter Jr., who excelled as a rookie last season.
Sutton collected 65 tackles to go with one interception for the Lions, who won the NFC North and advanced to the NFC Championship game before falling to San Francisco.
While he struggled at times in Detroit, the team anticipated bringing him back. He was actually in the team's training facility when the Lions found out about his arrest warrant and cut him almost immediately.
Now Sutton will get a somewhat unexpected chance to hit the reset button.
“There's so much to be grateful for, so much opportunity,” Sutton said.
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