Only a month and a half after he was released by the Detroit Lions, Terrion Arnold has found his new home. Following visits with the Texans, Saints, Giants, and the Seahawks, the 23-year-old cornerback is signing a one-year contract with Seattle.
Even though Arnold was fortunate to land with the reigning Super Bowl champions, his immediate NFL outlook remains murky. As ESPN's Brady Henderson reports, it's not clear when Arnold will be available to play. The former Lions defender might still end up on the NFL commissioner's exempt list.
When can Terrion Arnold return to action?
This would prevent Arnold from playing or practicing. He would still get paid and be allowed to be in the team-building. But while the league evaluates his case, Arnold wouldn't be able to contribute to his new team.
The commissioner's exempt list has been more commonly used by Roger Goodell over the last decade. As the person with the sole authority to place a player on the list, decide on the length of his stint, and decide when he can return to the active roster, the entire process is at Goodell's discretion.
Over the years, plenty of high-profile players have spent a significant amount of time on the list. A player can land on there for various reasons, but it has mostly been used when a player has faced off-field legal trouble. Jabrill Peppers, Tashaun Gipson, and Kareem Hunt were recent examples of players who missed time while on the commissioner's exempt list.
Arnold was released from custody after posting a $1 million bond, a day before the Lions released him. He is facing eight felony charges, including kidnapping and armed robbery, which can carry a potential life sentence. A trial date has not been set, but Arnold is set to appear in court for a disposition hearing on October 5. He is denying all allegations against him and has pleaded not guilty.
It's difficult to say how Goodell is going to respond to this signing, but we may very well see Arnold land on the exempt list until his hearing date.
The Seahawks will still be allowed to keep him on the roster, but Arnold wouldn't count against the team's 53-man limit. Upon returning, Arnold will have an immediate chance of cracking the rotation. The Seahawks have a wide-open cornerback battle behind Josh Jobe and Devon Witherspoon. Arnold could get a chance to re-establish his NFL career as the CB3 in Seattle.
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