The Detroit Lions have their 53-man roster set as they look toward the 2026 NFL season, and they’ve also completely filled out their practice squad with multiple players who were initially among their releases.
However, one player who was released weeks ago was cornerback Terrion Arnold after his ongoing legal issues came to a head; he’s since been signed by the Seattle Seahawks, but was immediately placed on the commissioner’s exempt list as his current situation plays out.
Lions general manager Brad Holmes met with members of the media on Wednesday morning, and gave his take on the situation, saying the entire situation was “unfortunate”.
Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes Addressed The Release Of Cornerback Terrion Arnold
During his media session with Lions writers on Wednesday morning, Holmes explained that Arnold “made a mistake” and that while they felt it was in the best interest of the franchise to move on, they’re now focused on the current players in the Detroit locker room.
“I mean, well look, the whole situation obviously was unfortunate,” he said. “Kid made a mistake. The more information that we got throughout the process, that was the result of us doing what the best and right thing was for the club, which was to move on and move forward.”
He continued:
“We appreciate everything that he did, but I think with respect of the present right now, to focus on the guys that we have here and we like the guys that we have right now in that room.”
Arnold, whom the Lions selected in the 2024 NFL Draft out of Alabama, has amassed 91 total tackles with 18 pass deflections and a fumble recovery so far in his career.
The Seattle Seahawks Have Signed Terrion Arnold
Arnold, who drew interest from other NFL clubs, signed with the Seattle Seahawks.
According to Seahawks general manager John Schneider, the allegations against Arnold didn’t match up with their conversations with others, and while they’ll let the legal process play itself out, they’re intrigued at the possibility of him potentially suiting up for them this season.
“There is a ton of different factors that went into it,” Schneider said of signing Arnold to a contract. “Obviously, the legal stuff has to take care of itself, and we totally respect that. There are tons of different buckets to this situation. Just the advocates that we had, you know. We traded for Leon Washington the first year that we were here, and he’s basically like his father. Leon (Washington) will always be a legend here, and he has a great relationship with the organization.
The character just didn’t really fit with the allegations and everybody we’ve talked to. But yes, there’s a long-term play. This isn’t a, ‘Let’s see how quickly we can get this done.’ Let’s get him in the building and see how it goes.”
Meanwhile, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said that the club had interest in Arnold before he was selected by Detroit in 2024.
“I think it was an opportunity to bring on a player that we felt strongly about during the (2024) draft process,” Macdonald said. “And we also understand that it’s a serious situation with a legal matter that there’s a process behind it, so we respect that.”
Lions GM Brad Holmes Breaks Silence On Terrion Arnold’s Release