Burns might sit for Sutton

The Steelers will get veteran cornerback Joe Haden back in the lineup Monday afternoon in Houston, but they might not be standing pat in the secondary.

Rookie cornerback Cameron Sutton took the reps with the first-team defense Saturday in practice, while secondyear corner Artie Burns took the reps with the second team, Burns confirmed.

When he was asked if the coaches told him his role would be different for the Texans game, Burns said: “I don’t know. We’ll have to wait until Monday.”

Burns, the Steelers’ firstround draft choice in 2016, has 23 career starts, including the first 14 games of this season.

Sutton, the team’s thirdround pick in the spring, made his first NFL start last week against the Patriots in place of Haden, who missed the previous five games with a fractured fibula. Sutton has played in just three games all season after spending the first half of the season on injured reserve with a hamstring injury.

“I’m doing the same thing every week, getting the reps with the 1s and 2s and the scout team,” Sutton said.

Sutton played 57 of the 59 defensive snaps against the Patriots. Burns played all 59 snaps, but he was called for a big pass interference penalty when he was matched up on Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. He has been called for 12 penalties this season, which is tied for the most among league cornerbacks.

The Steelers pass defense has struggled since Haden’s injury, allowing 252 yards per game without him. With him, the Steelers allowed 182.

Sutton’s first NFL game came Dec. 4 in Cincinnati, where he started the second half and played the remainder of the game. He also played a lot the following week against the Ravens.

Sutton said he feels like he has held his own.

“I feel like I’ve done pretty good,” Sutton said. “Obviously, you learn each and every week.”