Terrion Arnold’s time with the Seahawks looks like it will be delayed.
Arnold will be placed on the commissioner’s exempt list once the NFL receives his contract, ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported Saturday.
Cut by the Lions earlier this summer in the wake of his alleged role in a kidnapping case, Arnold officially signed with the Seahawks on Saturday, the team announced.
Essentially, the move would keep Arnold, who faces eight felony charges, off the active roster and keep him on paid leave. He will not be able to play or practice while he is on the list.
Arnold turned himself in to police on June 24 but has maintained his innocence in a case in which he is alleged to have been the “primary conspirator” in a February kidnapping.
He allegedly beat three men whom prosecutors say Arnold had wrongly suspected of robbing him of $100,000 at an Airbnb in Largo, Florida.
He faces four counts of armed robbery and four counts of kidnapping. He is facing the possibility of life in prison.
“Terrion Arnold categorically denies any involvement in the matters underlying the allegations made against him and maintains his innocence,” Denise White, CEO of EAG Sports Management, said in a statement on the day Arnold turned himself in.
“There is no credible evidence linking Mr. Arnold to these allegations.”
Arnold was cut by Detroit and visited with several other NFL squads — including the Giants — but signed with the Seahawks on Aug. 13.
Head coach Mike Macdonald explained to reporters the following day why the Seahawks took a chance on the 2024 first-round pick.
“We feel really strongly about our locker room and our team, and we had a great visit with Terrion,” Macdonald said. “Obviously we knew him throughout the (predraft process in 2024). I referenced the folks that have been in his corner throughout the whole process as well, and we respect those people.
“We’re not going to ignore those folks that we really respect and have a strong opinion about it as well. When you put all those things together, it felt like it was a good opportunity for the team.”
