Aidan Hutchinson hails former Steeler Cameron Sutton’s impact on Lions: ‘He’s such a steady force’

There are a lot of causes for the Detroit Lions’ 6-2 get started. One of them, albeit an underneath the radar one, has been the arriving of Cameron Sutton, a veteran cornerback who has made a large impact on his new staff after spending his first six NFL seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

Sutton, 28, signed a three-year, $33 million contract with the Lions this previous offseason. Simply put, Sutton has been value each penny. Just ask Lions pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson, who mentioned Sutton’s presence has helped Detroit bring together the NFC’s second-best file. 

“Cam’s been unbelievable, man,” Hutchinson mentioned all through a one-on-one interview with CBS Sports. “He’s such a steady force in our locker room and on our team. He’s kind of an old soul. I feel like guys just naturally look to him because everyone loves that old soul vibe. It’s very calming. 

“That’s roughly how I describe Cam. Calm, however guy, he is intense come recreation time. And I really like having him in my nook, as my nook, come recreation time. It’s nice.”

Sutton and protection Tracy Walker II are the “old heads” within the Lions’ beginning secondary. Safety Kerby Joseph and cornerback Jerry Jacobs are of their moment and 1/3 seasons, respectively, whilst nickelback Brian Branch is in the midst of his rookie marketing campaign. So some distance, the unit has allowed simply two opposing quarterbacks to throw for over 300 yards. It has held groups to underneath 200 yards and has performed an integral function within the Lions’ protection rating moment within the NFL in third-down potency. 

The impact Sutton is making in Detroit is very similar to the only he made in Pittsburgh. The Steelers protection used to be sixteenth within the NFL in passing yards allowed previous to 2017, Sutton’s rookie season. During his first 5 seasons with the Steelers, Pittsburgh’s protection ranked 5th, tenth, 1/3, 1/3 and 9th, respectively. The additions of Sutton, Joe Haden (additionally in 2017) and Minkah Fitzpatrick (2019) have been the primary causes for the unit’s good fortune in opposition to the go all through that extend. 

Sutton used to be a part of arguably the general very good draft magnificence underneath longtime Steelers GM Kevin Colbert. Also drafted by means of the Steelers that April have been T.J. Watt, JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Conner and Joshua Dobbs, who simply led the Vikings to a victory lower than a week after being traded from Arizona. 

While Smith-Schuster, Conner and Dobbs left Pittsburgh in recent times, the Steelers valued Sutton sufficient to signal him to a two-year extension forward of the 2021 season. Sutton’s versatility and peerless soccer mind have been a number of the the explanation why the Steelers sought after to stay him in Pittsburgh. 

Sutton, regardless that, selected to signal somewhere else after he used to be given the risk to check the open marketplace this previous offseason. Omar Khan, who succeeded Colbert as Pittsburgh’s GM final offseason, stated all through coaching camp that the Steelers sought after to re-sign Sutton. 

“He got a great opportunity to go to Detroit. He was very happy with that contract,” Khan mentioned. “We obviously had discussions. We talked about bringing him back, and it just didn’t work out, and that’s free agency.”

The Steelers answered by means of signing eight-time Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Peterson, who has crammed Sutton’s function within the secondary. Pittsburgh is these days 5-3, whilst the Lions lead the NFC North getting into Sunday’s recreation in opposition to the Chargers. 

In Detroit, Sutton is hoping to perform one thing he by no means did in Pittsburgh: win a playoff recreation. If he does, it will be the Lions’ first since 1991 and best the second one since Detroit gained the 1957 NFL identify. 

While successful a playoff recreation can be explanation why sufficient for a parade, Hutchison does not need his staff to shortchange themselves and what it could accomplish all through the season’s moment part. 

“I feel like we’re a team that having not won a playoff game since the ’90s, fans would love to see us in the playoffs and win one game,” Hutchinson mentioned. “But when you look at our team and what kind of guys that we have, you’re like, ‘This could be our shot.’ I think a lot of guys understand that. I feel like those long playoff runs and potential Super Bowl appearances, those come few and far between. If the opportunity is there, we’re going to jump on it.” 

Along with making ready for Sunday’s recreation, Hutchinson has partnered up with USAA forward of Veterans Day. He not too long ago met up with US Air Force veteran Patrick Fitzhugh to be told extra about why it is so necessary to go above and beyond this Veterans Day.

“Just encouraging Americans to go beyond thanks,” Hutchinson mentioned, “in order to honor veterans, really, just by having deeper conversations.”