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Damon Arnette

49ers, Packers Showed Interest In CB Damon Arnette

June 28th, 2025 at 3:16pm CST by Adam La Rose

Damon Arnette returned to pro football this year with a season in the UFL, and his performance led to NFL interest. The former first-rounder wound up landing a contract with the Texans allowing him to compete for a roster spot during training camp.

Arnette’s last action in the NFL came in 2021, his second year in the league. The 28-year-old was involved in a number of legal issues after his Raiders tenure came to an end, and stints with the Chiefs and Dolphins did not result in any playing time. A strong showing with the Houston Roughnecks put Arnette back on the NFL radar, however, leading to a Texans agreement being reached. They were not the only team to show interest in this case.

“It was a couple of teams that were reaching out on him,” UFL executive vice president Daryl Johnston told KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. “He’s got everything you want… He’s a former first round draft pick, so the talent is there. It’s really the maturity.

“So, it was great to see the Houston Texans call, [head coach] DeMeco Ryans, because [general manager] John Lynch in San Francisco was another one that called about him. So you can see that he really fits that style of defense that DeMeco wants to install with the Texans coming from the San Francisco 49ers because those were probably the two busiest teams that were reaching out on Damon’s behalf.”

The 49ers have undergone a number of changes at the cornerback spot this offseason. Charvarius Ward, Isaac Yiadom, Rock Ya-Sin and Nick McCloud have all departed in 2025. As a result, it comes as little surprise San Francisco checked in on a low-cost Arnette addition. The Ohio State product will look to carve out a depth role with Houston in the wake of Ronald Darby‘s recent retirement.

Wilson reports the Packers were also an Arnette suitor. Green Bay’s CB depth chart will of course no longer feature Jaire Alexander after efforts to work out a restructure were unsuccessful. The two-time Pro Bowler was released, ending his injury-plagued run with the Packers. Arnette would have represented a candidate for a backup gig, but the team will move forward with its in-house corners (a group including big-ticket free agent addition Nate Hobbs).

To no surprise, Arnette’s one-year Texans pact is worth the veteran minimum. If he manages to make the roster and enjoy a productive return to the NFL, though, he could once again find himself on the radar of multiple teams as a free agent next spring.

Texans Sign CB Damon Arnette

June 20th, 2025 at 11:33am CST by Sam Robinson

JUNE 20: The Arnette deal is now official, per a team announcement. To no surprise, Wilson notes this pact is worth the veteran minimum. It will be interesting to see if Arnette’s showing in training camp and the preseason earns him another NFL roster spot.

JUNE 18: Both the Raiders’ 2020 first-round picks flamed out of the NFL quickly, but Damon Arnette will receive another chance. After drawing NFL interest, the recent UFL cornerback is signing a one-year deal with the Texans, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reports.

This will allow Arnette to remain in Houston, as he played with the UFL’s Houston Roughnecks during the league’s second season. The Texans brought Arnette in for a visit earlier this month, and they saw enough from his UFL tape to sign off on what is a fourth NFL chance. Arnette has not played in the NFL since 2021.

Already struggling to justify his first-round value in Las Vegas, Arnette saw his NFL path change when he was shown brandishing a gun in a social media video during the 2021 season. The Raiders waived Arnette not long after cutting Henry Ruggs, whose involvement in a fatal drunk-driving accident led to a prison sentence. This came during a period in which the Raiders missed on a few first-rounders, with Clelin Ferrell, Johnathan Abram and Alex Leatherwood significant missteps during the Jon Gruden 2.0 period.

Multiple teams gave Arnette opportunities following his Vegas exit, as the Dolphins and Chiefs added him. But the Ohio State product did not make his way into any games following his Raiders tenure. Known for having a rather strong tolerance for off-field trouble, the Chiefs quickly cut bait on Arnette after a 2022 arrest for assault with a deadly weapon. He had been off the NFL radar since that January 2022 transaction. Arnette reached a plea bargain that led to community service as a result of that arrest, and Wilson adds another arrest — for possession of methamphetamine and the unlawful carrying of a firearm — occurred in January 2024, leading to uncertainty the UFL would provide him an opportunity.

Arnette started seven games as a rookie but did not lock down a starting job in Year 2; the Raiders used him in just four games during the latter season, as it became clear they needed to make other plans at corner. His rebound opportunity with the Roughnecks, however, will at least garner him another shot. This comes a year after the Cowboys signed former Raiders first-rounder Gareon Conley, though the ex-Buckeye did not make Dallas’ 53-man roster after his UFL stay.

Now 28, Arnette is coming off a UFL season in which he broke up five passes and notched a pick-six against the Birmingham Stallions. He joins a Texans team that recently saw Ronald Darby backtrack on a free agent signing and ultimately retire. The Texans have Kamari Lassiter and Jalen Pitre in place at corner alongside Derek Stingley Jr. Arnette joins Tremon Smith and Myles Bryant as notable backup options, as Houston did not draft a corner this year.

Texans Host CB Damon Arnette

June 9th, 2025 at 10:49am CST by Adam La Rose

Damon Arnette‘s efforts to return to the NFL have resulted in at least one visit. The former first-round cornerback worked out with the Texans on Monday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports.

Arnette was unsuccessful in his bid to play in the UFL last year, but he did manage to do so this spring. While operating as a key member of the Houston Roughnecks’ defense, he totaled 18 tackles, five pass breakups and a pick-six. That production led to recent inquiries from multiple NFL teams.

With the Roughnecks’ season over, Arnette is free to join an interested suitor at any time as he looks to return to the NFL. The 28-year-old played a total of 13 games with the Raiders across the 2020 and ’21 seasons. He was released after a video surfaced which showed him threatening a person while brandishing a handgun. Arnette wound up signing with the Dolphins before taking a futures deal with the Chiefs, but he never saw any game time with those teams.

The Ohio State product was indicted by a grand jury on assault with a deadly weapon and firearm-related charges in May 2023. Arnette wound up reaching a plea bargain agreement and has not faced charges since then. As Wilson details, he was arrested in January 2024 but that stemmed from a matter in which Arnette did not have the proper documentation for prescription medication with him at the time.

With the UFL and (to an extent, at least) the NFL satisfied in Arnette’s ability to avoid a repeat of his legal issues, it would come as no surprise if he were to land a deal before training camp. The Texans have a strong cornerback duo in the form of Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter, but the recent retirement of Ronald Darby has created the need for a depth addition. Depending on how today’s workout went, Arnette could be in line for the opportunity to earn a backup role this summer.

CB Damon Arnette Drawing NFL Interest

May 19th, 2025 at 10:35am CST by Adam La Rose

Damon Arnette‘s last NFL action came in 2021, and a number of legal issues since then appeared to close the door to a return. The corner has spent this spring in the UFL, though, and his performances have led to interest from NFL suitors.

Arnette was cut by the Raiders midway through his second season in the NFL. That move came in response to a video which showed him threatening a person while brandishing a handgun; the former first-rounder was also the subject of multiple lawsuits at the time. He briefly saw time with the Dolphins before inking a futures deal with the Chiefs. Kansas City released Arnette immediately after his arrest for assault with a deadly weapon, however.

In May 2023, the Ohio State product was indicted by a grand jury on assault with a deadly weapon and firearm-related charges. Arnette disputed the allegations and ultimately reached a plea bargain agreement which included 50 hours of community service and $2K in fines. After his attempts to play in the UFL last spring were denied, Arnette has been granted the opportunity to do so in 2025, finding success with the Houston Roughnecks.

“With coaches, I feel like I’ve proved a complete turnaround,” the 28-year-old said (via Aaron Wilson of KPRC2). “All the coaches that have been with me right now, I feel like their words would be more valuable because I’ve said a lot of things in the past… I found professionalism and a calm state of mind. I feel like I’m the best version of myself that I’ve ever been.”

Wilson notes “several” NFL teams have contacted the Roughnecks about Arnette in the wake of his strong play, which has included 18 tackles, five pass deflections and one interception (returned for a 51-yard touchdown) through seven games so far. Given his age and the value of corners, a market could exist once the UFL season ends shortly. It seemed for multiple years as though Arnette would not have a future in the NFL, but that could soon change.

Latest On CB Damon Arnette

May 27th, 2023 at 7:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

Former Raiders cornerback Damon Arnette is in the midst of a new legal development. Arnette has been indicted by a Clark County (NV) grand jury on assault with a deadly weapon and firearm-related charges, as detailed by David Charns of 8 News Now.

The charges stem from the January 2022 incident which led to Arnette’s arrest. In response to that news, not the first such development in the 26-year-old’s case, the Chiefs cut him shortly after signing him to a futures contract. The case against Arnette was initially dropped in July 2022, but the charges he now faces could result in a maximum of 10 years in state prison if he were to be convicted.

The former first-rounder is alleged to have displayed a handgun during an argument with valets at a Las Vegas Strip casino during the night in question. Arnette had previously been seen on video brandishing a gun while threatening a person; that led to his release from the Raiders in 2021. In this latest case, though, the details of his actions are in dispute.

“The district attorney’s office made a non-prosecution decision presumably after reviewing the video corroborating what Damon told the police that he never carried or pointed a gun at anyone,” a statement from Arnette’s attorney, Ross Goodman, read in July. Later that month, the Ohio State product was arrested in a separate matter on drug-related charges after being pulled over for driving with a suspended licence.

Arnette has pled not guilty to the felony charges stemming from the casino incident, per an Associated Press report (via ESPN.com). Goodman contends that Arnette never “brandished” nor “pointed” a gun, keeping in line with his previous remarks on the matter. Nevertheless, the re-introduction of charges has put his legal (and, if one exists at this point, NFL) future in question. The case’s next hearing is scheduled for June 7.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/29/22

January 29th, 2022 at 10:52pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor moves before Championship Sunday:

Cincinnati Bengals

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

San Francisco 49ers

Damon Arnette Arrested, Released By Chiefs

January 29th, 2022 at 11:13am CST by Ben Levine

Damon Arnette was arrested last night in Las Vegas for assault with a deadly weapon, a source tells NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter). Arnette is also facing weapons and drugs charges (Twitter link). The Chiefs immediately released the cornerback.

This is another troubling off-field incident for the former first-round pick. The Raiders cut Arnette earlier this year after a video surfaced showing him threatening a person while brandishing a handgun. Arnette is also facing multiple lawsuits, one for a car accident that resulted in injuries.

He later caught on with the Dolphins practice squad, and he was inked to a reserve/futures deal with the Chiefs following the regular season. Per Pelissero (on Twitter), the Chiefs signed him “with a commitment to intense counseling and zero tolerance.” Arnette ended up lasting only nine days with his new squad.

The Raiders used Arnette as a seven-game starter in 2020, with the defensive back finishing with 25 tackles and two passes defended. He was relegated to a part-time role this year in Las Vegas, where he collected four tackles in four games before earning his release.

Chiefs Sign CB Damon Arnette To Reserve/Futures Deal

January 20th, 2022 at 3:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Chiefs are giving another former first-round cornerback a second chance. They are signing Damon Arnette to a reserve/futures contract, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

This does not impact Kansas City’s playoff roster, but it does give the Chiefs yet another corner recently drafted in the first round. The former Raiders Round 1 pick will head to Kansas City after a brief stint on Miami’s practice squad. The Raiders cut Arnette earlier this year after a video surfaced showing him threatening a person while brandishing a handgun.

The Chiefs acquired former Vikings first-round corner Mike Hughes via trade last year and also have former Giants first-round cover man Deandre Baker on their playoff roster. Kansas City signed Baker not long after an off-field incident led to his New York ouster. Hughes is due for unrestricted free agency after this season; Baker can be controlled next season via exclusive-rights free agent tender.

Andy Reid‘s team has not shied away from players with checkered pasts, and the six-time reigning AFC West champions have benefited considerably from the acquisitions of Tyreek Hill and Frank Clark. While Arnette entered the NFL with a higher profile than each, being chosen 19th overall in 2020, he was headed in the wrong direction with the Raiders.

The Raiders used Arnette as a seven-game starter in 2020 but relegated him to a part-time role this year. The Ohio State product played four games with this year’s Las Vegas squad but was cut shortly after the Raiders parted ways with their other 2020 first-rounder — Henry Ruggs. Arnette is also facing multiple lawsuits, one for a car accident that resulted in injuries.

Dolphins Add Damon Arnette To Practice Squad

December 15th, 2021 at 3:00pm CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins have signed Damon Arnette to a practice squad deal (Twitter link via David Furones of the Sun Sentinel). This marks the cornerback’s first deal since he was cut by the Raiders earlier this year. 

Shortly after the tragedy involving Henry Ruggs, a video surfaced showing Arnette issuing threats and brandishing a handgun. The Raiders moved quickly to release the 2020 first-rounder, who was also in the midst of multiple lawsuits, including one for a car crash of his own.

Arnette made his name at Ohio State, flashing potential opposite of Jeff Okudah. With the ability to play on the inside or the outside, the Raiders were high on his upside. Unfortunately, his potential has been torpedoed by his off-the-field problems.

Arnette started in seven of his nine games as a rookie, collecting 25 tackles along the way. This year, he appeared in the Raiders’ first four games, but didn’t top 30% of the snaps in any of those contests.

While Arnette joins the 16-man practice squad, the rest of the team will prepare to face the Jets on Sunday. A win would give them six straight, a 7-7 record on the year, and at least a glimmer of hope in the Wild Card race.

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