The New York Jets were one of four NFL teams that immediately reached out to cornerback Terrion Arnold within 24 hours of him being released by the Detroit Lions, according to his agent, Nicole Lynn.
So what was that all about?
ESPN’s Rich Cimini provided a two-word update on the Jets’ interest on the “Jets Collective” podcast.
“I think the Jets, from what I understand, their interest was due diligence. I’d be really surprised if they pursued this all the way in terms of signing him,” Cimini shared on the show.
“[Lynn] also testified that there is ‘a very good likelihood’ that Arnold will get signed within the next 45 days, but cautioned that she is not a ‘fortune teller’,” via ESPN’s Xuan Thai.
It doesn’t sound like that future will be with the Jets, according to Cimini.
Insider Believes This Would Be A “Bad Look”
“Arnold, 23, faces four kidnapping charges and four robbery charges stemming from the February incident. Authorities said three people were beaten and robbed by armed men in an apartment because Arnold believed two of them stole from him a few days earlier. Arnold was not in the apartment during the incident, but Riley called Arnold the ‘general manager’ of the scheme during the pre-trial detention hearing. Arnold’s attorneys have said there is no evidence tying him to the violence or robbery,” Colton Pouncy of The Athletic wrote.
“A trial date has not yet been set. If convicted, Arnold could be sentenced to life in prison,” Pouncy added.
“Personally, my own opinion, I think it would be a bad look for the team. You’re trying to build a culture. Why take on this added distraction? He was a first-round pick in 2024. He did not have a good year last year with the Lions. I know he’s got talent, and teams will go out of their way to bring talent in. I’d be surprised if he ended up with the Jets,” Cimini said on the “Jets Collective” podcast.
Cimini added that he thinks the “main reason” the Jets kicked the tires on this is because of the connection with head coach Aaron Glenn.
“He coached him as a rookie in 2024 with Detroit [and] he was part of the scouting process,” Cimini explained.
Arnold was the No. 24 overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft. He spent one season with Glenn when he was the defensive coordinator with the Lions.
Insider Explains What Could Happen Next for Arnold
“I know some people have speculated that he could go on the commissioner’s exempt list, but you can’t put a player who is not under contract to a team on the commissioner’s exempt list. Do I think he could wind up on that list once he signs with a team? Absolutley I think that is a possibility. It’s kind of a purgatory for players who are facing serious legal situations. Roger Goodell can come in and say, ‘Hey, let’s slow down. We don’t want this guy on the field.’ It’s a glorified time out, basically the commissioner’s exempt list,” Cimini explained on the “Jets Collective” podcast.
That would be something else for teams to consider if they potentially wanted to add Arnold to the roster.
The Juice Isn’t Worth the Squeeze
Cimini mentioned it on the podcast: if you’re a talented enough player, you can get away with a lot more. Now Arnold is facing very serious allegations, but if you thought he could help your football team, you’d have to think about it.
“I just did some research before we came on the air, and I’m thinking, like, how good is this guy? Is he worth it? So I checked my trusty Next Gen Stats website, which I always love, and last year, there were 96 cornerbacks in the NFL who played at least 150 coverage snaps. Out of those 96, Terrion Arnold ranked 96th in yards allowed per coverage snap as the nearest defender. So he averaged 1.9 yards per snap as the nearest defender on pass plays. The league average is 1.1,” Cimini revealed on the “Jets Collective” podcast.
“So basically, he had a bad year, he only played nine games, he has battled injuries and has been an underachiever so far, but he’s 6-foot, he’s a really good athlete, he comes from Alabama, the talent is there, but he just hasn’t played to it yet. That’s why some of these teams are interested,” Cimini explained on the show.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Insider Provides 2-Word Update on Jets Interest in Terrion Arnold appeared first on HEAVY.