Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell spoke about Terrion Arnold for the first time since the team released the defensive back in June, shortly after Arnold was arrested and charged with four counts of kidnapping and four counts of armed robbery.
“I addressed the team last night over that,” Campbell said during Wednesday’s training camp session. “You know, it stinks. You never want to let go of a player, especially somebody that you’ve been around for a while here and you drafted and all that. It’s unfortunate, but we made the move we thought was best for us.”
Arnold’s charges date to a violent weekend in Largo, Fla., in February, in which authorities say that an armed group beat and robbed three people Arnold believed had stolen from them. Arnold was not in the apartment when the alleged actions occurred, but prosecutor Kevin Riley has called Arnold the “general manager” of the situation. Arnold’s attorneys have said there is no evidence tying him to the crimes.
A first-round pick in 2024, Detroit signed Arnold to a four-year, $14.3 million contract. He only played eight games last season due to injuries.
After Detroit released him, Arnold cleared waivers in July, making him a free agent. On July 10, a Florida judge ruled that he would not have to wear an ankle monitor while on bond, making it easier for an NFL team to sign the 23-year-old as he awaits trial. Arnold’s agent said during the hearing that four teams had shown interest in him within a day of his release: the Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks and New York Jets.
It’s also possible the NFL puts Arnold on the commissioner’s exempt list, used when the league investigates a conduct issue. After the July hearing, a league spokesperson said the NFL is “closely monitoring all developments in the matter, which remains under review of the personal conduct policy.”
Arnold’s next legal hearings are on Aug. 6 and Aug. 13.
