The Pittsburgh Steelers needed help at slot cornerback this offseason. When their former cornerback Cam Sutton was released by the Detroit Lions due to an arrest warrant, the Steelers were named as a likely team to give Sutton a second chance because of their prior history.
Sutton spent six seasons with the Steelers after being selected by the team in the 2017 NFL Draft. He left Pittsburgh after the 2022 season to join the Lions, signing a three-year deal worth $33 million. However, his legal troubles have put his NFL career in serious jeopardy. The decision for the Steelers to give Sutton a second chance has been heavily scrutinized by many. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has been one of the Steelers' biggest critics regarding their decision to bring Sutton back.
Florio joined 93.7 The Fan on Wednesday to discuss his opinions on the Steelers and Sutton. During the show, Florio speculated that Sutton might actually be released by the team after he serves his suspension.
"I think one of the questions here, when the eight games is concluded, after the Giants' Monday night game, they may not take him back," stated Florio. "They may decide by then, we're good, we're fine. There's no guaranteed money. They can move on from him if they want to once that suspension expires."
The idea that the Steelers would go through all the trouble of signing Sutton amid the allegations against him just to release him after he serves his suspension does seem a bit odd. However, Florio truly believes it's not off the table.
When the Steelers reunited with Sutton and gave him another chance, they knew there was a risk of him being punished by the NFL. They might not have known it would be an eight-game suspension, but the risk was there. This now puts Pittsburgh's secondary back to square one. They brought in Sutton because they needed help at the slot cornerback position.
Sutton was familiar with the team and the position they needed help with. He was signed just a season ago to a solid contract. Now, the Steelers get that same player, but at a much better cost because of his situation. However, they are in trouble because they will be without Sutton for almost half of the season. The good news is that the Steelers' AFC North games don't start until the back half of the season, so they will have Sutton for those competitive games.
This means Pittsburgh will have to fill the Sutton void during the first eight games of the year. There were reports that Pittsburgh might call up one or two former 2023 players who could help fill the void, such as Patrick Peterson or Chandon Sullivan. Although other Steelers insiders do not think Pittsburgh will do that.
Steelers Have Some Options To Fill The Cam Sutton Void
If the Steelers do not seek former help to fill the void, they will have to rely on their depth chart. Pittsburgh has some options. They have Josiah Scott, but he does not provide much comfort. He bounced around practice squads before the Steelers brought him back. He is a veteran with a little bit of experience who could get a greater opportunity because of Sutton's suspension.
The Steelers also have Beanie Bishop Jr., an undrafted free agent signed after the 2024 NFL Draft. Bishop has received high praise during offseason workouts and is an under-the-radar player who could step up for Pittsburgh as a rookie in 2024. Grayland Arnold is another option; he is a veteran who is familiar with the position.
Like Scott, he has not had a significant impact in the NFL yet, but is a player who could help fill the void. The Steelers have some options, but none are overly exciting. It will be interesting to see which player steps up and how they perform with this great opportunity, thanks to Sutton's suspension.
