Pittsburgh Steelers sign former third-rounder Cam Sutton for 2024 season

The Pittsburgh Steelers are reuniting with former third-round draft pick Cam Sutton, signing the cornerback to a new deal for the 2024 season. Sutton was released from the Detroit Lions in March after he was wanted for aggravated battery-domestic violence. Since his release, the former Tennessee standout has entered a pretrial diversion program. Completing the program will resolve the charge against him, which was reduced to a misdemeanor last month.

Sutton spent the 2023 season with the Lions after inking a new deal in free agency. He started all 17 games, tallying a career-high 65 tackles (50 solo), four tackles for loss, one interception and six passes defended. Sutton spent the previous six seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

He appeared in 84 games with 39 starts for Pittsburgh, compiling 168 tackles (143 solo), eight tackles for loss, eight interceptions and 38 passes defended. Sutton signed a three-year, $33 million deal with $22.5 million guaranteed with the Lions last offseason.

He went in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft to the Steelers with the No. 94 overall pick. In his last season with Pittsburgh in 2022, he tallied three interceptions and racked up 43 total tackles in 16 games played.

Sutton played his college football with the Tennessee Volunteers. He wrapped up his prolific career as the school’s all-time leader with 37 passes defended (30 pass breakups, seven interceptions). He also earned first-team All-American honors from the Sporting News in 2015. As a punt returner, he set the school’s single-season record for punt return yards (467 yards).

More on the 2024 NFL offseason, free agency

The NFL 2024 calendar year began at 4 p.m. ET on March 13. At that time, contracts running through 2023 officially ran out, making those players free agents. Prior to the beginning of free agency, teams had a chance to designate one franchise or transition tag player, starting on Feb. 20 at 4 p.m. ET and ending on March 5. Beginning March 11 through March 13 teams could enter into a legal negotiation with players who will become unrestricted free agents.

In addition to NFL free agency, the new year also marked the beginning of all trades being made official by the league office. April 19 marked the deadline to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets. On April 24, the deadline for teams to match restricted free agent offers sheets hit. Following the restricted free agent deadline followed the 2024 NFL Draft, which ran from April 25-27.