The recent release of cornerback Cameron Sutton by the Detroit Lions has raised significant interest regarding its financial implications, especially following his domestic battery charges. Sutton’s release involved a guaranteed salary of $10.5 million, prompting analysts and fans alike to speculate on how this decision would affect the team’s salary cap. Initially, we provided a comprehensive overview of the potential outcomes based on the available information at the time of his release, but recent developments have shed more light on the situation.

This week, updates have emerged that clarify the Lions’ current financial standing regarding Sutton’s situation.

As previously reported, the Lions voided Sutton’s guarantees initially, which indicates that his $10.5 million would be removed from the salary cap after June 1, a date that also marked the classification of his release. However, as noted by Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap, Sutton is preparing to file a grievance against this decision, a right he is entitled to exercise. This action could significantly alter the Lions’ salary cap commitment to him moving forward.

The next step in this unfolding situation will involve arbitration to determine whether the Lions rightfully voided Sutton’s contract guarantees.

In the interim, the Lions will have to manage a temporary salary cap hit. To ensure compliance with league rules and to prevent any attempts to evade the salary cap, part of Sutton’s voided salary will remain on the books. According to the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), 40 percent of the disputed salary—amounting to $4.2 million in this specific case—must stay on the salary cap until a decision is rendered during arbitration or until the conclusion of the current season. When combined with the $2.18 million in signing bonus proration that the Lions will still owe, Sutton’s total cap impact will reach $6.38 million once his grievance is filed. This figure has already been reflected in Over The Cap’s latest salary cap calculations.

Depending on the outcome of the arbitration, which can occasionally extend beyond a year, the Lions’ salary cap could be adjusted in the future to reflect the ruling. If the decision favors the Lions, they will regain that cap space for the following year. Conversely, should the arbitrator rule in favor of Sutton and award him more than the $4.2 million, the excess amount will be deducted from the Lions’ future cap space.

The positive aspect for the Lions is that they currently possess over $30 million in salary cap space, allowing them to accommodate any decisions made regarding Sutton’s grievance without significant financial strain.

For further clarity, here is the relevant section from the current Collective Bargaining Agreement that outlines the salary cap implications of player grievances (Article 13, Section 5, subsection e).

Grievances. When a player salary grievance is filed against a Club, 40% of the amount claimed (or, for a player whose contract qualifies under Article 27, 40% of the player’s Salary Cap count, prorated to reflect the number of weeks remaining in the regular season) will be counted in Team Salary until the grievance is resolved or until the end of the League Year, whichever comes first; at the end of the League Year, if any grievances have been settled or awards have been made, if the net total grievance amounts paid by the Club exceed the original 40% attributions and place the Club over the Salary Cap, the excess will be deducted from the Club’s Team Salary in the next League Year; if the net total grievance amounts paid are less than the original 40% attributions and the Club finishes the season at the Salary Cap or below the Salary Cap by less than the amount of the unawarded attributions, the difference will be added to the Club’s Team Salary for the following League Year. If an award or settlement is made for a grievance in a League Year after the grievance was filed, and the grievance amount paid exceeds the original 40% attribution, the excess will be included in Team Salary when paid; if the grievance amount is less than the original 40% attribution, the difference will be deducted from Team Salary when the award is made.

In summary, the Lions will be responsible for an additional $4.2 million related to Sutton’s previously guaranteed salary until a definitive decision is reached regarding the validity of the Lions’ actions concerning that salary.