Cameron Sutton explains his absence from the Week 13 Chargers game

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a team dealing with a very serious set of problems, and the absence of several key players would certainly find its way on the list of issues heading into the final quarter of the regular season.

In the Week 13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, the team was without several key members of the defense, most notably Morgan Burnett (back) and Cameron Sutton (personal) were both absent on Sunday Night Football.

Burnett’s absence was obvious, but fans were wondering what was going on with Sutton which resulted in his absence. Not that he has to explain himself, and a personal matter, to the media, but Jacob Klinger of Pennlive.com spoke to Sutton during the media availability Monday and shed some light on the situation.

Cameron Sutton left Pittsburgh twice last week to attend to a hospitalized family member.

It was why he was not in practice on Friday and ultimately did not play against the Los Angeles Chargers.

“Obviously any time something’s going on, not just even your family member or anybody that’s really closely attached to you it’s definitely going to be very emotional and obviously a lot of that is out of your control,” Sutton said. “So like I said you just got tend to ‘em and be with ‘em any chance you can and try to find a balance in everything that you do, that it’s not affected toward you in what you do and just move forward from that.”

Sutton did say, per Klinger, he is planning on practicing this week and has plans on playing in the Week 14 game against the Oakland Raiders on the west coast this week, barring nothing drastic changing in the health of his family. He is just happy to have the support of his teammates and the organization during this tough time.

“Got the support of everybody in this locker room and obviously everyone upstairs as well and there was no hesitation on their end,” Sutton said.

Stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers as they prepare for the Raiders this Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET.