The Lions have released cornerback Cameron Sutton. The team announced the move on Thursday.
He started all games for the Lions last year, regular season and postseason. He signed with Detroit in March 2023 after spending his first six NFL seasons in Pittsburgh.
Sutton has been wanted for two weeks. He faces a felony charge of domestic battery by strangulation. which carries a maximum punishment of five years in prison.
A spokesperson for the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office recently told ESPN.com that authorities have been unable to find Sutton since an arrest warrant was issued on March 7. That day, police responded to a call at a house where Sutton allegedly battered a woman before fleeing.
Sutton is due to make $10.5 million this year. The entire amount became fully guaranteed on March 16.
In some cases, a team can’t wipe out guarantees before the NFL takes official action. It’s possible that Sutton’s contract contains language that allowed the Lions to void the guaranteed salary before releasing him.
Even if his guaranteed salary was wiped out before he was released, the Lions likely won’t be able to recover any of the $10.9 million signing bonus he received in 2023, on a three-year deal. A signing-bonus forfeiture typically doesn’t happen until the player misses a mandatory practice or a game due to suspension or incarceration.
UPDATE 4:19 p.m. ET: Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the Lions did indeed invalidate Sutton’s guaranteed salary for 2024 before releasing him.