The Pittsburgh Steelers have now officially started the clock on rookie cornerback Cameron Sutton.
According to Burt Lauten, Sutton returned to practice on Tuesday as he now looks to return from a hamstring injury that resulted him starting the regular season on the team’s Reserve/Injured list. The Steelers now have 21 days to activate Sutton to their 53-man roster under the designated-to-return tag.
#Steelers CB Cameron Sutton has returned to practice today. Sutton, who is currently on IR, has 21 days to be activated by the team or he remains on season-ending IR. He does not count against the team’s current 53-man roster, & the team does not have a roster exemption for him.
— Burt Lauten (@SteelersPRBurt) October 31, 2017
Sutton initially suffered his hamstring during training camp. Once he was deemed healthy enough to play, he re-aggravated the hamstring injury during the team’s preseason finale against the Carolina Panthers.
Now that Sutton has been on the team’s Reserve/Injured list for 8 weeks, he can be put on the 53-man roster at anytime during the next 21 days. The Steelers, however, would then need to release a player to make room for him when and if that ultimately happens. Cornerback Coty Sensabaugh would be a prime candidate to be be released in order to make rook for Sutton.
Should the Steelers ultimately decide to not place Sutton on their 53-man roster in 21 days he will have to remain on the Reserve/Inured list the remainder of the season.
Sutton was drafted this year by the Steelers in the third-round out of Tennessee.
