The Pittsburgh Steelers shocked a lot of fans when they brought back Cam Sutton during the 2024 offseason. The organization chose not to re-sign him going into the 2023 season, and he wound up struggling at outside corner for the Detroit Lions. He got himself into legal trouble while with Detroit, which led to his release. Pittsburgh had a hole at slot corner, and they decided it was a good idea to bring Sutton back in on a contract worth the veteran minimum for the 2024 season.
The NFL is still investigating Sutton's off-the-field issues, and it's likely he finds himself being suspended for multiple games to begin the 2024 season. The length of the suspension is unclear, but if it is a substantial one, Pittsburgh would probably need to add another corner to the roster. Insider Mark Kaboly recently reported that it is likely Pittsburgh has some idea of what Sutton's suspension will be, since Art Rooney II has been around a while and presumably has connections throughout the league office.
Bob Labriola completely contradicted that point, and said there is no way for the Steelers to know any details about the league's investigation. He touched on this during his Asked and Answered segment on the team's website.
"I believe if the NFL had decided on a suspension and then a length of a suspension for any player, the league would announce the decision, rather than have it leak out, as it inevitably would. Since there has been no announcement means to me that there has been no decision, and therefore the Steelers couldn't know anything in advance."
Labriola makes a good point. With sensitive topics like legal matters concerning players, the league wants to be in full control when it comes to how news about the subject circulates. If a decision was made, it would be announced shortly after the fact. This likely means the Steelers have no clue how long they could be missing Sutton for, which could present an issue.
The issue with the organization not knowing how long Sutton could be suspended for is that they have very little experience behind him at the position. Aside from Sutton, the next viable option at slot corner is likely Beanie Bishop, who is an undrafted free agent. Bishop has impressed, but it's not wise to rely on an undrafted player to contribute at such an important position on opening day.
The organization has made no moves to sign another corner since acquiring Sutton. If an announcement of his suspension is made in the middle of training camp, they will need to move quick to bring in outside help. Unless the team is truly comfortable with sending Bishop out there to start the season, a player needs to be brought in via free agency.
Sutton could be suspended for just one game, but it could be a lot more drastic. The last thing Pittsburgh needs is to be scrambling to find a slot corner after the regular season has already kicked off.
Steelers External Options At Slot Cornerback
In the event Sutton's suspension is extreme, or the Steelers decide they need more depth at corner, there are a few solid options on the table. A reunion with a player like Patrick Peterson is still in the cards, despite the organization releasing him after the 2023 season. Peterson showed his age in 2023, but seemed to still be serviceable in the slot. He let it be known on his podcast that he hasn't been in contact with any other teams, so the Steelers could swoop in and pick him up whenever they need to.
Aside from Peterson, there are a few other veterans who are still available in free agency: Xavien Howard, Stephon Gilmore, and Adoree' Jackson to name a few. Jackson has the most experience in the slot out of all three of those candidates, and is the youngest as well. All three would boost the Steelers' secondary, and provide a good backup plan in the case of a serious suspension for Sutton.
