Steelers Insider Shuts Down CB Reunion

The Pittsburgh Steelers were on the receiving end of bad news this past week, as Cameron Sutton was suspended by the NFL for the first 8 games of the season due to battery charges. With Sutton unable to return until Week 9, the Steelers will likely look to fill the void left by Sutton's suspension.

Some have turned to two members of last years secondary in Patrick Peterson and Chandon Sullivan. Both now free agents, neither had a stellar 2023 campaign and were not retained by the team.

Brian Batko, writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, believes that a reunion for either of the two with the Steelers organization is unlikely. In an appearance on the 93.7 The Fan, Batko dished on what he believed the Steelers were thinking about both Sutton and their options.

"I still think that I wouldn't bet on that because if, if they would've preferred that option, then why wouldn't they have just done that instead of Sutton to begin with?" Batko said. "You wouldn't even have had to deal with the bad look of signing him and the optics and the PR of it all. So that kind of makes me think that they actually prefer Sutton maybe as a player, or at least at the price point that they're gonna have him and despite not having him now for the first eight games."

Peterson, while an incredible defender for much of his career, has seen a visible regression in quality of play. His current ability has not been sufficient enough to garner a contract from any other team, so a move to the Steelers seems unlikely, especially this far along in the offseason.

Sullivan would have trouble fitting into this year's Steelers system, especially with the addition of Donte Jackson.

It is important to note that Sutton's suspension will be without pay, so his half-season reunion with the Steelers will be far cheaper than the $11 million per year he was getting paid by the Lions before cutting him due to his off-the-field issues. He signed for a veteran minimum contract this offseason.