During an already turbulent offseason, former Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold has suffered another setback.

Arnold was expected to be a key contributor for the Lions this season and start alongside D.J. Reed. However, he has instead found himself released by the franchise. Now, he has cleared waivers before his next scheduled court hearing in Florida. 

According to ESPN, Arnold officially cleared waivers on Monday, which means that none of the other 31 NFL teams submitted a claim for the former first-round pick. He is now officially an unrestricted free agent. However, his football career might not yet be over.

Despite Arnold being arrested on multiple felony charges, ESPN reported that he is expected to meet with NFL teams once his legal situation has been evaluated.

Arnold was released from custody last Tuesday after a bond of $1 million was set by Hillsborough County Judge Christopher Sabella.

Arnold had turned himself in on June 24 after he was accused of orchestrating the kidnapping and armed robbery of three men whom authorities say were suspected of stealing luxury items and approximately $100,000 in cash from Arnold, per ESPN.

According to the prosecutors, six associates carried out the crime, and Arnold was not physically present during the incident.

Selected 24th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, Arnold was viewed as a future cornerstone piece of the Lions’ defense.

In two seasons, Arnold had played 24 games and started all except two of them. He has recorded one interception, 91 combined tackles, and defended 18 passes. Arnold suffered a shoulder injury and was subsequently ruled out of the 2025 season after eight games.

Arnold’s situation has caused even more trouble for the Lions' roster and is in need of immediate fixing, according to NFL analysts.

Lions’ secondary named as the Lions' biggest weakness

ESPN’s Mike Clay, Aaron Schatz and Seth Walder ranked NFL rosters and listed their strengths and weaknesses. While the analysts ranked the Lions’ roster as the sixth best in the NFL, the team's main issue that popped up was its secondary.

“This one is not for a lack of talent, but major availability concerns make Detroit’s secondary a massive question mark,” wrote Clay on July 6. “Cornerback D.J. Reed missed roughly half of last season due to injury, and the other starting position opposite him is in question after 2024 first-round pick Terrion Arnold was released due to his alleged role in a felony kidnapping case in Tampa, Florida."

He also raised questions about the return from injuries of safety Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch from serious knee and Achilles injuries sustained last season.

However, Clay also praised the Lions’ offensive playmakers while also naming the Lions’ 2026 first-round pick Blake Miller as the X factor for the Lions for the upcoming season.

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Written by

Dhruv Vishnu Nair

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore