Seahawks officially sign Terrion Arnold amid CB’s legal issues

The Seattle Seahawks officially signed cornerback Terrion Arnold on Saturday after the two sides agreed to a deal earlier this month.

Macdonald: Seahawks did ‘due diligence’ on CB Terrion Arnold

Arnold, a 2024 first-round draft pick, was released by the Detroit Lions in June after being arrested on eight felony charges in connection to a February robbery and kidnapping in Tampa, Florida.

Arnold, 23, will be placed on the NFL commissioner’s exempt list while his legal proceedings unfold, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. That would prohibit Arnold from practicing or playing in games, but he’d be allowed to attend team meetings and workouts.

A player on the commissioner’s exempt list counts toward a team’s 90-man offseason roster, but not toward its 53-man regular-season roster. That’s presumably why the Seahawks waited until after Friday night’s preseason finale to officially sign Arnold.

Arnold’s contract is a one-year, minimum-salary deal, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson.

Prosecutors in Florida allege that Arnold orchestrated the abduction and beating of three men whom he wrongly suspected of stealing luxury goods and $100,000 in cash from him, according to The Associated Press. Arnold pleaded not guilty and denied the allegations through his representatives.

No trial date has been set for Arnold, who posted a $1 million bond. Arnold’s next scheduled court date is a disposition hearing on Oct. 5.

Earlier this month, head coach Mike Macdonald expressed confidence that the Seahawks did their “due diligence” in vetting Arnold’s background.

“I think it was an opportunity to bring on a player that we felt strongly about during the (2024) draft process,” Macdonald said after Arnold and the Seahawks agreed to a deal on Aug. 13. “And we also understand that it’s a serious situation with a legal matter. There’s a process behind it, so we respect that.

“And that’s how we’ll operate, too, in just letting that process play out and let the league decide if and when his return to play is.”

Macdonald said the Seahawks had people in their building who vouched for Arnold’s character.

Seahawks third-string quarterback Jalen Milroe, cornerback Josh Jobe and fullback Robbie Ouzts were each college teammates of Arnold’s at Alabama. And Seattle defensive passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach Karl Scott helped recruit Arnold to Alabama – although he left the Crimson Tide’s program prior to Arnold’s arrival.

HBO’s “Hard Knocks” captured Ouzts telling Seahawks general manager John Schneider that Arnold “was a great kid” and would be “a good fit.” During that conversation, Schneider also revealed that legendary former Alabama head coach Nick Saban had spoken highly of Arnold’s character.

“I referenced the folks that have been in his corner throughout the whole process as well, and we respect those people,” Macdonald said. “We’re not going to ignore those folks that we really respect and have a strong opinion about it as well. So when you put all those things together, it felt like it was a good opportunity for the team.”

The 6-foot, 195-pound Arnold had one interception and 18 pass breakups in 24 games with the Lions over the past two seasons. He was sidelined for half of the 2025 season with a shoulder injury.

In a phone conversation captured on “Hard Knocks,” Arnold’s agent revealed that seven other teams were interested in signing Arnold. The Houston Texans, New Orleans Saints and New York Giants were reportedly among the teams that met with Arnold.

The Seahawks brought in Arnold for a workout on Aug. 9.

“We had a great visit,” Macdonald said. “We had a great discussion. It was a real discussion. And we just kept it real. I have a responsibility coming from the organization about what we expect and also what our vision would be for him and how it would operate, and he was great. He was great. I appreciated his honesty in those moments, and that’s really all you could ask for.”

Three-time Pro Bowler Devon Witherspoon and Josh Jobe are entrenched as the Seahawks’ top two cornerbacks, but the third corner spot is up for grabs after Riq Woolen’s departure in free agency.

Third-year pro Nehemiah Pritchett, free agent addition Noah Igbinoghene and recently signed Trevon Diggs are the leading candidates to fill the CB3 role. Rookie third-round pick Julian Neal also was expected to factor in, but he missed most of training camp with an undisclosed injury.

“There’s a really great opportunity that we think his skill set fits in our secondary,” Macdonald said of Arnold. “He plays with a lot of energy, physicality. Some of the pattern-match stuff that we do is more up his alley that he did at Alabama. And then just the personality-wise, I think there’s an opportunity there, if he’s the best version of himself, that he could be a fit for us.”

To make room on their 90-man roster, the Seahawks waived offensive tackle Derrick Graham, who signed with the team earlier this week.

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