A judge has allowed Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold to practice and play pending trial on multiple felony charges arising from an alleged armed robbery and kidnapping that occurred in February 2026. Whether the league allows Arnold to do so is a different issue.
The Personal Conduct Policy allows a player to be placed on paid leave when he “is formally charged with: (1) a felony offense; or (2) a crime of violence, meaning that he is accused of having used physical force or a weapon to injure or threaten a person or animal, of having engaged in a sexual assault by force or against a person who was incapable of giving consent, or having engaged in other conduct that poses a genuine danger to the safety or well-being of another person.”
More broadly, the policy authorizes paid leave “when an investigation leads the Commissioner to believe that a player may have violated this Policy by committing any of the conduct identified above, he may act where the circumstances and evidence warrant doing so.”
In response to a question from PFT regarding whether Arnold will be permitted to attend Lions training camp, a league spokesperson said, “The matter remains under review.”
Obviously, the NFL has several weeks to make a decision. That decision could keep Arnold away from the Lions until the case is resolved.
Lions Clips
Harvey Steinberg is already earning his fee.
Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold, with Steinberg hired to represent him over the weekend, secured his release on bond in the Florida criminal case that carries a potential sentence of life in prison.
Via Christian Romo of the Detroit Free Press, Arnold was freed on $1 million bond. The prosecution had wanted him to be held without bail until trial on three armed robbery charges, three kidnapping charges, and two conspiracy charges.
Chief Judge Christopher C. Sabella said there is “probable cause” for the charges against Arnold, but “the burden is higher than the probable cause” and “the state isn’t there at this point.”
Arnold will be confined to his home, with leave to practice and play for the Lions. If Arnold had been held without bail, he potentially would have lost millions — even if he’s ultimately acquitted.
The judge reluctantly declined a request that Arnold wear an ankle monitor, explaining that Arnold will have a “paparazzi monitor.”
“If he is late for practice, ESPN will let us know,” Judge Sabella said. “If he violates the conditions of his bond, he will be found.”
The next question is whether Arnold will be permitted to practice and play for the Lions. With multiple pending felony charges that carry a potential sentence of life in prison, Arnold could be placed on paid leave.
Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams played every game in a season for the first time in 2025 and he posted career highs with 65 catches and 1,117 yards over the course of the campaign.
That wasn’t enough to get the Lions back into the playoffs, but it did show the kind of growth that the team wanted to see after Williams missed time due to injuries and suspensions in his first two seasons. Wide receivers coach Scottie Montgomery said this month that the team has continued to see Williams growing this offseason in terms of “his ability to be vocal and ask questions” in order to fully understand “how we go attack” opposing defenses.
As a result, Montgomery believes Williams is capable of taking another leap in his fifth season.
“You know, we’ve really worked hard this offseason, even just on the phone talking about the detail that it takes to go from being good to truly elite in our game. And then the things from a mentality standpoint, the way that we go about when we’re working, like not even just the start of a drill, but also just the finish,” Montgomery said, via Kory Woods of MLive.com. “Everything that we do, his detail, his eyes, his catch points, his checkpoints, everything that we’re doing now, we did March, April, man, it showed up. We’re really excited about where he is right now. This is definitely, by far, been his best offseason, his best chance to grow as a player since we’ve been here for a number of reasons, but he’s done a good job.”
The prospect of Williams finding a higher gear while playing alongside the likes of Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown is one that should worry the teams on the Lions’ schedule this fall. If Detroit can’t make similar gains on defense, however, the team’s fortunes may not wind up being terribly different in 2026.
Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold faces criminal charges in Florida that carry a potential sentence of life in prison. On Monday, prosecutors will argue at a pre-trial detention hearing that he should remain in custody through trial. Even if he’s ultimately acquitted, a refusal of bond would carry significant financial consequences.
In an effort to avoid being held without bond pending trial, Arnold has hired Denver-based attorney Harvey Steinberg, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Steinberg has represented numerous NFL figures in recent years. Most recently, he was hired by Broncos linebacker Jonathon Cooper in connection with multiple charges arising from an alleged domestic-violence incident. (Steinberg had some very strong comments when charges against the alleged victim were dropped.) A search of Steinberg’s name in the PFT database shows that his clients have included John Elway, Elway’s son, Jack, Kellen Winslow II, Jerry Jeudy, John Bowlen (the son of former Broncos owner Pat Bowlen), Brandon Marshall, and Elvis Dumervil.
Steinberg also represented former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan in a lawsuit filed against a developer who allegedly failed to deliver a lot to Shanahan in exchange for his endorsement.
Steinberg’s website lists various links to cases involving his NFL clients. It also features this quote from Sports Illustrated: “The man Colorado sports figures call when they’re in trouble.”
In 2015, Steinberg explained his approach to CBS. “It’s not the client that’s on trial in my world, it’s the system,” Steinberg said at the time. “The system has to be held accountable. And if the system works, justice occurs. If it’s broken, that’s when there are problems.”
He’s right about that. Regardless of the facts of a given case, the system must operate as designed and intended. Flaws in the system (which often are glossed over when the facts paint an unfavorable picture for the client) should be identified and exposed.
That’s how the system is supposed to work. Any infringement on a person’s freedom carries a very high bar. The government (state or federal) must at all times be held to that standard.
Steinberg’s effort to do so for Arnold will presumably commence on Monday, when Steinberg attempts to allow Arnold to continue his football career while the case against him proceeds.
This doesn’t mean the NFL won’t place Arnold on paid leave. But the key is that the leave would be paid. If Arnold remains in custody, he won’t be.
Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold allegedly crossed the line in an effort to recover property that had been stolen from him. He now stands to lose millions, if he’s convicted on eight total charges relating to an armed robbery and kidnapping in Florida. Or if he’s simply ordered to remain behind bars while the case proceeds to trial.
Obviously, the biggest loss would be his freedom — for however long he is incarcerated. Arnold’s status as a 2024 first-round pick makes it a very expensive proposition to be unavailable to play during either of the final two years of his rookie deal.
The slotted first-round contract he signed in 2024 has a total value of $13.343 million. He’s due to make $2.098 million in 2026 and $2.75 million in 2027.
Arnold, who has strongly denied the allegations, also received a signing bonus of $7.251 million. The Lions could recover half of that amount ($3.6255 million), if he’s not available for the next two seasons. If he misses all of 2026, he’d owe $1.812 million.
To recover a portion of Arnold’s signing bonus, the Lions will need to resist the temptation to void his guarantees and cut him. The Falcons, for example, kept Mike Vick on the roster throughout his incarceration for dogfighting in order to later recover a portion of his signing bonus. Once a player is released, the ability to collect unearned signing-bonus amounts evaporates.
The Lions would surely try to collect the unearned $3.6255 million. They recovered signing-bonus payments from all-time greats like Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson when they retired. If they did it to them, the Lions will undoubtedly do it to Arnold.
Again, the threat to Arnold’s freedom is the much bigger issue. The financial ramifications, however, further underscore the stupidity of the decision to orchestrate an effort at vigilante justice, if the prosecution’s allegations eventually are proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
On Monday, a pre-trial detention hearing could result in a ruling that Arnold must remain in custody until the case goes to trial. That alone would trigger a multi-million-dollar consequence for Arnold by keeping him from playing for the Lions during the 2026 season.
Before the Texans nearly made it to the AFC Championship for the first time in franchise history, they started the year 0-3. Then, they shook things up by abruptly cutting safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
It was a surprising move, especially since the Texans (who acquired Gardner-Johnson in a trade with the Eagles) made no effort to re-trade him. They simply cut ties with him.
The Texans never provided a clear explanation of why Gardner-Johnson, who had just won a Super Bowl in Philadelphia, needed to go. In a new interview with Tim Graham of The Athletic, Gardner-Johnson supplies his side of the story.
According to the player, things started to go sideways at training camp in West Virginia, after a confrontation with “the GM’s friend.”
“If y’all going to cut me, cut me,” Gardner-Johnson said. “But I’ll give nobody reasons to cut me. I haven’t. I don’t. I’m not a cancer. There’s nobody in this locker room that says, ‘Chauncey’s a problem.’ The media loves me. The only thing that’ll do it is something that triggers somebody that has a say in the building that can alter somebody else’s mind. That happens every time.
“That’s how I got [cut] in Houston. One person that’s not technically a part of the organization called me a B-word at Greenbrier. I get out my body; he says something to the GM, and the next thing I’m cut.”
The Texans declined to comment for Graham’s story. Still, the objective timeline doesn’t exactly support the effort to connect the training-camp incident to Gardner-Johnson’s release.
The Texans were at The Greenbrier from August 4 to August 7. The Texans cut him on September 23, a full 47 days after leaving West Virginia.
It had been reported that Gardner-Johnson struggled to learn the Houston defense, and that he “finger-pointed” in lieu of accepting responsibility for his mistakes. Another report indicated that the team had become exhausted by his complaints.
Whatever the reason for his exit from the Texans, Gardner-Johnson has never stayed in one place for very long. Picked by New Orleans in the fourth round of the 2019 draft, the Saints traded him to the Eagles after three seasons. After one year in Philly, he signed with the Lions. After one year with the Lions, he returned to the Eagles. After another year with the Eagles, he was traded to the Texans.
Cut after three games in Houston, Gardner-Johnson landed on the practice squad in Baltimore. One week later, the Ravens released him.
The Bears signed him in late October, and he finished 2025 in Chicago. Then, Gardner-Johnson signed with the Bills.
Seven seasons. Six departures. Gardner-Johnson can say it’s not him — and maybe it isn’t. Still, he’s made six exits in less than four calendar years (the Saints traded him to the Eagles on August 30, 2022).
On several occasions, Gardner-Johnson aired grievances after his departures. He called his year with the Lions “hell,” and he claimed he was “lied to.” He said the Eagles traded him after the team won Super Bowl LIX because they were “scared of a competitor.”
He complained to Graham about his week in Maryland: “They sign you in the middle of the night with the plan for you to play that week, then literally 14 hours later they trade for a safety and tell you, ‘Oh, we’re going to start him and keep you on the practice squad.’ I’m a Super Bowl champion!”
Despite his performance in 11 games with the Bears, Gardner-Johnson told Graham that he knew the Bears wouldn’t re-sign him.
“I’m a firecracker, but let’s take the body of work: never legally been in trouble; never physically harmed a person,” Gardner-Johnson said. “But I haven’t been a captain ever in my life. They say, ‘You gotta lead the right way.’ My definition of leading is winning. . . . There’s a lot of captains in this league — and I want this to come out — that’s just for jersey sales. I can show you three, four captains right now that I wouldn’t get behind. Why would I get behind anybody that doesn’t believe in himself? I’ve played for plenty of false captains, but I gotta fake it, like, ‘That’s my leader!’”
He knows that people already think the Bills will cut him. Bills GM Brandon Beane was nevertheless willing to roll the dice on Gardner-Johnson, after both doing the research on the player and making sure he understands the ground rules.
“We talked about just making sure, ‘You’ve got to be a good teammate,’” Beane said. “We don’t want any cheap shots in practice or anything like that. You want to keep it in between those lines, but you do want his edge.”
Implied in that message is that Beane concluded Gardner-Johnson has a reputation for not being a good teammate, and for taking cheap shots in practice.
So far, the Bills seem to like him. Defensive coordinator Jim Leonard calls Gardner-Johnson a player who “loves football,” and who “loves being in the building.”
The challenge isn’t to be in the building. The challenge is to stay in the building. Gardner-Johnson vows that he will.
“I’m going to win the next two out of three Super Bowls,” he told Graham. “How? Look where they placed me at. Look who’s my quarterback. If I got a fucking fighting chance, it’s over with.”
Frankly, that’s the kind of fire the underachieving Bills need from their new “firecracker” safety. And maybe it’ll be enough to have a “C” on Gardner-Johnson’s jersey when he walks onto the field for Buffalo’s Week 1 game at, yes, the Texans.
Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold made his initial court appearance on Thursday on armed robbery and kidnapping charges.
Judge J. Logan Murphy ruled that Arnold will remain in custody until a pre-trial detention hearing is held on Monday, June 29.
Arnold faces three counts of armed robbery, three counts of kidnapping, one count of conspiracy to commit armed robbery, and one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping.
In court, Arnold’s lawyer said that he “is absolutely denying” the allegations.
Judge Murphy explained that, because he has been arrested on six first-degree felonies that are categorized as “dangerous crimes” and carry a sentence of life in prison, he will remain in jail until Monday’s hearing.
On Monday, prosecutors will ask that Arnold remain in custody until the trial of the case. Obviously, if the motion is granted, Arnold would potentially miss some, most, or all of the 2026 season.
Previously, Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold denied involvement in the alleged robbery and kidnapping arising from an effort to recover property stolen from a house he rented in Florida. Now that Arnold has been arrested and will be charged with multiple felonies, a representative has issued a statement on Arnold’s behalf.
“Terrion Arnold categorically denies any involvement in the matters underlying the allegations made against him and maintains his innocence,” Denise White of EAG Sports Management said, via Colton Pouncy of The Athletic. “There is no credible evidence linking Mr. Arnold to these allegations. Instead, the government appears to be relying on testimony from multiple convicted felons who have admitted their own involvement and may have substantial incentives to shift blame in an effort to lessen their sentences. . . . Mr. Arnold looks forward to his day in court and is confident that the judicial process will lead to his ultimate vindication.”
Arnold was arrested after two of the five other defendants in the case agreed to a plea deal on Wednesday.
The State Attorney’s Office in Hillsborough County, Florida, intends to request that Arnold remain jailed until the case goes to trial.
From the moment a story surfaced that two men with ties to Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold had been arrested on robbery and kidnapping charges, it seemed that Arnold eventually could be implicated.
Arnold has now officially been implicated.
The Hillsborough County, Florida, State Attorney’s Office announced on Wednesday night that it “will file charges against Detroit Lions player Terrion Arnold following his arrest in connection with a February robbery and kidnapping in Tampa.”
Also from the announcement: “Arnold is facing multiple felony charges which carry a potential sentence of up to life in prison.”
Via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, the arrest came hours after two defendants in the case agreed to plea deals.
The Lions addressed the situation in a statement released on Wednesday night.
“We are aware of the legal situation regarding Terrion Arnold,” the team said. “We will not comment at this time out of respect for the ongoing legal process.”
Arnold previously denied wrongdoing in connection with the case.
The issue first came to light when a detective testified in a hearing on charges against Lyndell Hudson and Christion Williams regarding their ties to Arnold. The men had been arrested for armed robbery and kidnapping in connection with an apparent attempt to recover property that allegedly had been stolen from a Florida home rented by Arnold.
Arnold had reported the items missing to the Largo Police Department. The authorities contend that, within hours after making the report, Arnold orchestrated the kidnapping and robbery in an effort to recover the stolen property: watches, jewelry, designer bags and shoes, a cell phone, and an estimated $100,000 in cash.
Hudson, Williams, and Freddie Hughes face life sentences on similar charges. Two other defendants — Arianna Del Valle and Jasmine Randazzo — agreed to plea deals on Wednesday.
The Lions previously said that they did not believe Arnold was involved in the crime.
“We got all the information that says he wasn’t involved. That’s what we know, that’s all we know, and that’s really all I can say,” coach Dan Campbell said at the annual league meetings. “As far as I know it’s not a big deal. It seems like he still wasn’t involved with this.”
Team president Rod Wood previously told the Detroit Free Press that Arnold “was in my office the day after the allegations came out” and was “grilled” about what happened.
The State Attorney’s Office said it intends to file a pretrial motion aimed at keeping Arnold in jail until trial, claiming that “he remains a danger to the community.”
Arnold was a first-round pick of the Lions in 2024.
Having won his first MVP award in 2025, quarterback Matthew Stafford is coming off a year where he played some of the best football of his career.
But Stafford, who turned 38 in February, is clearly on the back nine of his career — if not the proverbial final few holes.
There was speculation that Stafford could retire after the 2025 season, but he put that to rest in his MVP acceptance speech. He and the Rams are now comfortable going year-to-year as it relates to Stafford continuing his career.
As Stafford gets older, he’s consulted with some of his former peers about potentially playing into his 40s: Tom Brady and Drew Brees.
He addressed that in a recent interview with Chris Long’s Green Light podcast.
“I talked to [Brady] a little bit, I’ve talked to Drew Brees a little bit about it as well,” Stafford said. “It is year-to-year because I think it’s fair to the team, I think it’s fair to me, my family — I don’t want to sit there and say, OK, 24 months from now, I’ve got to be ready to play another football season. I’m like, phew, that just seems like a lot. I know that I’m ready to play this year. And hopefully, I feel great at the end of next year, and I’m ready to play another one after that. And then maybe we just kind of keep going like that. But, committing to more than that feels a little bit daunting. And I think a little bit unfair to the team and myself.
“So, the last thing I want to do is sign some five-year extension, and after one year be like, ‘Oh man, I’m ready to retire. I want to spend time with my family.’ And they’re sitting there with four years on the books and had a bunch of planning done that I was going to be around. I don’t want to play football not all the way in it, too, and just be half-assed leading it.”
Stafford added that the Rams’ brass has been great about the situation.
“But, yeah, I don’t know,” Stafford said. “I don’t know how far I want to play. I know I’m excited about playing this year and then we’ll see after that.”
Stafford added that he’s spent time talking with Brady in each of the last two offseasons. But one of his most notable conversations with Brees happened last year.
“I think one of the things that surprised me is, I was talking to Drew — this was before last season — and he was like, ‘How old are you, again?’ I was like, ‘I’m 37.’ He’s like, ‘You might have your best five years of your career coming up.’ And I was like, ‘Huh,’” Stafford said. “I never really thought about it that way. You’re taught as a player in this league it’s a young man’s game and the older you get, you’re just kind of doing everything you can to try to stay up to par with everybody else. And Drew saying that kind of lit a fire under me, and it give you a little bit of belief that maybe an old guy can go out there and spin it around a little bit.
“Obviously, last year was a successful year for our team and for myself. And just gives you a little bit of energy moving forward and hope that that continues.”
Stafford completed 65 percent of his passes last season, leading the league with 4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns while throwing just eight interceptions. In the postseason, Stafford completed 55.5 percent of his throws for 936 yards with six touchdowns and one pick in three games.
