Steelers reportedly signing cornerback Cam Sutton to a 2-year deal

Pittsburgh Steelers have made their first move since the legal tampering period kicked off at noon on Monday. According to NFL Network‘s Tom Pelissero, the Steelers are retaining cornerback Cameron Sutton on a two-year, $9 million contract.

Drafted in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft out of Tennessee, Sutton has become a key player on the Steelers defense in his usage in sub-package football. Appearing in all 16 games last season, Sutton had six starts on defense where he logged an interception, eight pass defensed, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, 1.0 sacks, and 30 tackles.

With starting cornerbacks Steven Nelson and Joe Haden currently under contract for one last season in 2021, Steelers could not afford to lose both Cameron Sutton and Mike Hilton to free agency. Becoming a “jack of all trades” in the Steelers’ secondary, Sutton can play either the inside or outside cornerback position as well as safety.

At two years and $9 million, the most Sutton will cost for the Steelers on the 2021 salary cap is $4.5 million. Once the exact breakdown is known, the Steelers will probably be looking at less than a $3 million cap hit this season as Sutton’s deal is certainly including a signing bonus.

At this time, Sutton is the only free agent from the 2020 Steelers who has signed a contract. In a smart move by Pittsburgh, they keep Sutton in town in order to better secure their secondary.

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