Why was Cameron Sutton released from jail hours after turning himself in? Reason for ex-Lions CB's release explained

Former Lions cornerback Cameron Sutton was released after turning himself in at Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office's Orient Road Jail. It marked yet another turn in the saga that began on March 21, 2024, over allegations of domestic abuse. He was reported to be on the run but turned himself in on Easter Sunday, March 31.

A statement by his lawyers explained why he had been released despite a warrant issued against him. It read:

"On March 31, 2024, Mr. Cameron Sutton voluntarily turned himself into the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. On April 1, 2024, he was released on his own recognizance. After completing an investigation into the matter, the Office of the State Attorney has elected to file a single misdemeanor."

Own recognizance refers to when a person is released without the requirement to post bail on the condition that they submit a written promise to be present in court when directed to do so. The statement further elaborated:

"Both Mr. Sutton and the mother of his children request privacy in this matter, as they view this as a family matter and wish to resolve it as a family."

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Will the Lions take back Cameron Sutton following release from jail?

When the charges against Cameron Sutton emerged and he was alleged to be on the run, the Detroit Lions terminated their contract with the cornerback. The incident reportedly happened on March 7 and took two weeks to come to light. After that, the authorities were trying to track him down but he had gone incognito.

However, the latest developments suggest that he had voluntarily surrendered in jail and has now been released. It also implies that he and the mother of his children want to resolve this in private. If that is true, it could change the situation around him.

Cameron Sutton had spent six years with the Pittsburgh Steelers before joining the Detroit Lions. He had played one year under a three-year $33 million deal and the upcoming season would have been his second year, where he was slated to earn $10.5 million. He played in all 17 regular-season games last season and was also involved in each match in the playoffs as the Lions made the NFC Championship.

His unexplained absence and the seriousness of the allegations made it impossible for Detroit to retain him. But now that he has been located and released, things might have changed sufficiently for them or any other franchise to give him another look. Given how he handled the situation initially, he should consider that an extremely optimistic outcome.