The Steelers’ secondary went through a constant availability battle in 2022. Injuries and inconsistent play meant that, far too often, there were moving pieces on the back end of Pittsburgh’s defense.
But they were able to find some stability with one of their most versatile defense pieces, Cam Sutton.
The sixth-year cornerback went through his own ups and downs through the year, but finished the season fairly strong, providing the Steelers with something they desperately lacked in the season’s first half: consistency.
Sutton finished the season with three interceptions, good for third-best on the team behind Minkah Fitzpatrick (6) and Levi Wallace (4).
Sutton made 43 tackles, led the team in passes defensed with 15, and was their most used corner, playing 93.4 percent of the defensive snaps.
“Going into the year, goal wise, I wanted to be as healthy as possible,” said Sutton, who missed just one game, the Steelers’ 38-3 blowout loss in Buffalo. “I feel like, it was one week, so I fell short of that, but it was something minor. I wanted to be consistent with the things that I do.”
And he was.
Sutton’s PFF grade was a 72.2. While that won’t put him among the elite corners in the NFL, it is an above average mark for a player that, at times, seems to be somewhat of an overlooked commodity in a star-studded defense.
“He sees the game really well,” Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said of Sutton. “He does everything you want a really good pro to do. So, he's going to go out there and he's going to be really prepared, and that's why you see him playing well.”
Sutton needs to be prioritized when it comes to contract negotiations.
Along with defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi, he should be at the top of the Steelers’ ‘want back’ list.
“We’ll see what that looks like,” Sutton said Monday, a day after Pittsburgh’s season ended. “I feel like we should still be playing ball right now, so I’m not even in that mindset right now.”
Sutton believes the process of negotiating won’t begin for him until March. But the Steelers would be smart to kick the tires on him as quickly as possible.
And that seems like something Sutton is open to.
“This is family, this is home, home since the beginning,” he said. “There’s a strong foundation and it’s really solid here. I have a lot of love for all of the aspects here and the city as a whole.”
Re-signing Sutton doesn’t mean the Steelers wouldn’t, or shouldn’t, pursue another cornerback either in free agency or, preferably, the NFL Draft, particularly with his ability to bounce inside and play slot corner, something the Steelers did utilize him for against certain opponents this season.
Around Sutton, Levi Wallace had an up-and-down year that finished fairly strong, but was also a bit sidetracked with injuries. Ahkello Witherspoon, who ended the 2021 season with strong play, was torched in Pittsburgh’s 35-13 loss in Philadelphia for three touchdowns, and never saw the field again due to injury. And William Jackson III, who the Steelers acquired mid-season, never stepped on the field for them due to a back injury.
But Sutton was, almost always, there, and contributing. And despite a couple of setbacks — like his pair of dropped interceptions in Miami — he is too valuable to the defense to let get away.
“Sometimes, like everybody, they're going to have bad games, they're going to have things that don't go well for them, but game in and game out, he is really, really consistent in what he does,” said Austin. “And I think it's because of the way he prepares himself both mentally and physically.”
Spotrac.com lists Sutton’s market value as a bit lofty for the Steelers’ preference, most likely, at $7.6 million. But a player ranked in the top 30 at his position in the league is going to command that type of money.
The question is if the Steelers can and will find room for that contract.
They should.