The Detroit Lions released cornerback Terrion Arnold on June 29, but now, a month later, Dan Campbell has found himself at the center of the controversy about a delayed decision. Still, one NFL analyst believes the Lions coach is being blamed for the wrong reasons. 

On July 25, an AtoZSports report by Mike Payton noted that Dan Campbell made decisions based on the information he had at that time, not on the details that came out later. 

“What I don’t agree with is the amount of hindsight and revisionist history being thrown into the discussion about what the Lions should have done about Arnold’s situation,” Mike Payton wrote. 

The Terrion Arnold controversy gained attention after reports linked the Lions cornerback to a legal situation with the authorities.

The initial report in February only revealed that Arnold owned the Airbnb that had been robbed, and he had filed a police report, according to Mike Payton of AtoZSports. 

A bigger update came on March 26, when Arnold’s name was connected to the situation in a more significant way. By then, free agency was already underway, leaving Detroit with fewer options to address the cornerback position. 

In the AtoZSports report, Payton pointed out that the Lions did not have access to the full details before they became public and made their decisions with the same information available at the time. 

Arnold was not viewed as a player the Lions were ready to move on from immediately, considering his elite production of eight passes defended in just seven starts last year with 31 total tackles to add to that.

Payton noted that Arnold was the consensus No. 1 cornerback in the 2024 NFL Draft, which is why Detroit remained confident in his growth. In fact, Arnold was picked with the 24th overall pick by Detroit in the 2024 draft.

Before his 2025 injury, Terrion Arnold had started to show improvement on the field. Mike Payton highlighted his performances against the Cincinnati Bengals and Chicago Bears, in which the cornerback showed signs of progress. 

The Lions expected Arnold to be their No. 2 cornerback opposite DJ Reed. They also had Rock Ya-Sin as depth and hoped Ennis Rakestraw could remain healthy. 

The debate now shifts to how Detroit handles its cornerback room moving forward. Some analysts believe Detroit’s roster planning at cornerback should have been stronger. 

Dave Birkett questions Lions cornerback planning

Lions beat writer Dave Birkett said on the Crunch Time Sports on Woodward Sports YouTube video that Detroit did not do enough to prepare for the possibility of losing Terrion Arnold.

“I don't think they did enough. I think it was pretty obvious to anyone who had done any reporting or investigating on the matter," Dave Birkett said. "You know, way back in February or March that Terrion Arnold could be caught up in some of this stuff." 

Birkett said Detroit’s additions were not enough to secure the position and raised concerns about the team’s overall cornerback depth. 

Detroit also waited until the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft to select Keith Abney, who is expected to compete for a nickel cornerback role. 

The Lions’ cornerback situation remains a key area to watch as Detroit looks to address the position moving forward. 

Do you think the Lions handled Arnold’s situation correctly? Let us know your views in the comments.

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Written by

Divyanshi Raj

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote