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Former Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold cleared waivers Monday, officially making him a free agent.
The Lions released Arnold last week, days after his arrest for an alleged connection to a kidnapping and robbery incident that took place in Tampa, Fla., in February.
Arnold faces a potential sentence of life in prison.
Advertisement Arnold, 23, was a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, where the Detroit crowd welcomed him as a long-term answer for a team that had struggled to find quality cornerbacks.
His early returns were limited, however.
As a rookie, Arnold tied for the most penalties by a defensive back that season with seven, per TruMedia.
Last season, Arnold was limited to just eight games as he dealt with nagging injuries.
However, recent off-field issues were what ultimately led to Arnolds release just two years into his four-year, $14.3 million contract.
Arnold was arrested on June 24 after voluntarily surrendering to authorities at Orient Road Jail in Tampa, and he was charged with four counts of kidnapping and four counts of armed robbery.
On June 29, a Hillsborough County, Fla., judge set Arnolds bond at $1 million.
Shortly after, the Lions released him.
Arnolds case centers on what happened after he and others had property stolen from an Airbnb in Largo, Fla., about 25 miles west of Tampa, earlier this year.
The Largo Police Department told The Athletic that Arnold called a police station at 10 p.m.
on Feb.
3 to report the theft of $100,000 in cash, an $80,000 necklace and other possessions.
Two hours later, the alleged robbery and kidnapping of Yan Lopez, Arnolds hired private driver; Daniel Tenesaca, a barber and friend of Lopezs; and Soljah Anderson occurred in Tampa.
In a Florida court order released in February that detailed the planning of the armed robbery and kidnapping, Judge J.
Logan Murphy wrote that Arnold suspected Lopez of being involved in the burglaries at his rental, and Arnold and his friends decided to take matters into their own hands.
Arnolds name appeared in text exchanges between the co-defendants plotting the robbery and kidnapping, court records show, but his phone did not send or receive any of the text messages discovered by investigators.
Advertisement Over the months that followed, six of the seven people linked to the robbery and kidnapping, which Arnold is alleged to have orchestrated, were arrested.
The seventh was Arnold.
Arnold, who is still recovering from shoulder surgery that ended his 2025 season, was a limited participant in Detroits OTAs and minicamp in May and June.
He was asked by reporters on June 17, the final day of minicamp, whether hed made any changes to tighten up his inner circle and the people he surrounds himself with.
Nah, Arnold said.
I mean, Im a home guy.
(I) hang around my family and stuff like that.
But I mean, as far as stuff like that, I just feel like when certain things happen in life, its best to, like, remain silent.
Silence is sometimes the best answer.
Though Florida prosecutors argued for Arnold to remain jailed until trial, his bond ruling permitted him to leave his home for court appearances, meetings with his legal team and work-related matters.
Now that Arnold is a free agent, prosecutors are asking that he be required to wear an ankle monitor.
Arnolds attorney objected, saying the cornerback was contacted by three NFL teams within 24 hours of being cut by the Lions and that Arnold expected to land with a team within 30 days.
A judge is scheduled to hear arguments on Friday.