The Green Bay Packers may have a cornerback to trade this summer, and the Detroit Lions are in the market.
Detroit cut ties with first-round NFL draft pick Terrion Arnold following a hearing in Florida on Monday, June 29, in which a judge granted Arnold a $1 million bond as he awaits trial on four counts of armed robbery and four counts of kidnapping, which could ultimately result in his imprisonment for life.
“The #Lions have released CB Terrion Arnold, who is accused of multiple felonies, including four counts each of kidnapping and assault,” Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported via X.
Detroit now faces the task of replacing Arnold on the outside of the defense. The Lions currently have north of $18.5 million in salary cap space for the 2026 campaign, which gives the team some viable options, and one of those involves reaching out to the Packers about Carrington Valentine.
Packers Can Afford to Part With Carrington Valentine After Adding Benjamin St-Juste, Brandon Cisse
GettyGreen Bay Packers cornerback Carrington Valentine.
Valentine, a former seventh-round pick in 2023, is entering the fourth and final season of his rookie contract in 2026 and has started 30 games for Green Bay across his first three years in the league (49 total appearances).
All told, he has recorded 18 pass breakups, two interceptions and two forced fumbles during his time in the league.
Valentine isn’t a lock for the trade market. But Green Bay focused on bolstering the position during the offseason, adding Benjamin St-Juste in free agency and rookie Brandon Cisse as a second-round pick. The Packers also retained starting cornerback Keisean Nixon from last season’s starting lineup.
Thus, depending on how training camp shakes out, it is possible that the Packers might look to move Valentine ahead of a contract year.
Carrington Valentine Tripled Salary as Regular Starter Last Season
GettyGreen Bay Packers cornerback Carrington Valentine.
Bill Huber of Sports Illustrated last week laid out the case for a potential Valentine trade.
“Valentine will be a free agent after the season. Under the NFL’s proven-performance escalator, his base salary almost tripled to $3.674 million,” Huber wrote. “Moving on would take that amount of money off the salary cap. Cornerback is a premium position, so the Packers could get decent value for a player who might be replaced by one of the newcomers.”
Green Bay also must consider what it might get back in return from Detroit against what kind of compensatory pick the league might send the Packers’ way if/when Valentine departs in free agency.
“Would the trade compensation be better than the compensatory pick? And would the Packers dare get rid of a proven player at such a critical position?” Huber continued. “That would hinge on the play of St-Juste and the development of Cisse and [Domani] Jackson.”
Given the Lions’ immediate need on the outside due to Arnold’s release and the increased value those circumstances might create in a trade scenario, the Packers could be more inclined to send Valentine to Detroit in the coming weeks than they would be otherwise.
Packers Trade Pitch Flips Breakout Player to Lions at Inflated Value