Lions Release Terrion Arnold After Pretrial Hearing

UPDATE Jun 29, 2026 4:15 PM CDT

Terrion Arnold's bail was set at $1 million during a pretrial detention hearing on Monday in the criminal case he faces, with the judge setting conditions that would keep him free to carry on with his NFL career. But shortly after the Florida hearing, the Detroit Lions announced they'd released him, the Detroit Free Press reports. That means Arnold will be placed on waivers, where another team could claim him.

Jun 25, 2026 5:49 AM CDT

A Detroit cornerback is now facing charges that could put him away for life. Terrion Arnold turned himself in to a Tampa jail on Wednesday on four counts each of kidnapping and armed robbery, shortly after two co-defendants took plea deals in a February incident tied to him, per the Detroit Free Press. Prosecutors allege Arnold, 23, orchestrated the armed robbery and beating of his personal driver and two others after accusing the driver of setting up the theft of more than $250,000 in cash and luxury items from an Airbnb that Arnold had rented.

Arnold's camp calls the case flimsy, saying "multiple convicted felons" with incentives to cut their own time are pointing fingers at him, and insisting there's "no credible evidence" he was involved. In addition to the two co-defendants who've pleaded guilty, the Hillsborough State Attorney's Office says four others said to be tied to the crime were also arrested and are being held without bond, reports the AP. Text messages and police interviews reportedly tie Arnold to the alleged revenge attack, though he'd told officers he was in San Francisco for Super Bowl events at the time, per the Free Press. Arnold told reporters just last week that he simply wanted to "focus on football," declining to talk about the case, reports ESPN.

The Florida state attorney's office says it will seek to keep Arnold jailed before trial, calling him a danger to the community, per the Free Press. He's set for an initial court hearing on Thursday, reports the AP. "No one has the right to take the law into their own hands," State Attorney Suzy Lopez says in a statement. "A dispute over missing property does not justify kidnapping, violence, or retaliation." The Lions, who'd publicly backed Arnold this spring, said only that they're aware of the situation and won't comment during the legal process, per the Free Press.