Steelers' Tomlin has reached out to former Lions CB Sutton, won't say if contact made

Orlando, Fla. — NFL players and coaches frequently talk about the brotherhood and bonds established for life through their profession, so it stands to reason Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is concerned about former Steelers cornerback Cam Sutton, who was recently released by the Detroit Lions after the Hillsborough County Sherriff's office announced a warrant for his arrest, stemming from an alleged domestic violence incident.

During a breakfast for AFC coaches at the league meetings on Monday morning, Tomlin acknowledged he had reached out to Sutton in recent days.

"I certainly have, but I'll just leave that between us," Tomlin said.

When asked if he's made contact with the player, who has evaded attempts by the police to reach him in the weeks following the March 7 incident, Tomlin shut down the line of questioning.

"None of your business," he said.

The Steelers drafted Sutton in the third round out of Tennessee in 2017 and he played his first six seasons for the club under Tomlin. He joined Detroit as a free agent last offseason, signing a three-year contract worth more than $30 million. At last year's league meetings, Tomlin praised his former player's football IQ.

"First of all, I always hesitate, because the first thing I think about is his above-the-neck game, his maturity and his preparation," Tomlin said a year earlier. "But, in stating that first, you're almost disrespectful to his talent. He's a talented guy. But beyond that, I think the things that are his calling cards are his intellect and his prep, his communication skills. I just think it allows him to be versatile. He does a good job of getting people around him on the same page and I'd imagine those are skills that are going to travel."

Sutton was the centerpiece of Detroit's revamped cornerback room, but he struggled to live up to those expectations. As the team's top corner, he struggled, particularly down the stretch of the regular season and into the playoffs, as opposing No. 1 receivers regularly torched the team's secondary.

He had still been part of the team's 2024 plans, but the Lions again invested heavily into the position, trading for Carlton Davis III, while re-signing Emmanuel Moseley and adding Amik Robertson to compete for playing time. But the arrest warrant altered plans, resulting in the team quickly moving to release Sutton.

jdrogers@detroitnews.com

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