Cornerback Terrion Arnold is set to join the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks ahead of the 2026 season. But he may have to wait much longer before actually taking the field for the team. This week, Arnold was placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List amid his ongoing legal complications. With the regular season now fast approaching, ESPN’s Adam Schefter recently shared an update on Arnold’s situation in Seattle.
“They knew all along that the Commissioner’s exempt list was going to be the likely outcome,” Schefter said on The Pat McAfee Show. “The question is, and it’s always been the question here, how long was he going to have to remain on there, and was there a chance they would get him back this season? That’s what they still have been navigating, and I would imagine some of those calls are going back and forth.”
The momentum on Arnold’s situation gained development as the 23-year-old is currently facing eight felony charges stemming from kidnapping and robbery in February. It led the Detroit Lions to release him earlier this offseason after he turned himself in. While the cornerback visited multiple teams, he has reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with the Seahawks.
However, he’ll be placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List once the deal is finalized. That means the cornerback won’t be allowed to participate in team practices or take the field during the regular season until the NFL completes its investigation into the case. At the same time, he’ll still be permitted to attend team meetings. The Seahawks, meanwhile, will remain obligated to pay him under his one-year contract.
But that could be a major concern for the Seahawks, as it’s still uncertain for how long Terrion Arnold will be on the exempt list. Still, Schefter believes that despite Arnold’s current situation, they’re ready to sign him ahead of the regular season.
“But because now, again, if you find out that the NFL tells you that it’s going to leave him on that list the entire season, and you’re the Seahawks, if you sign him, and he’s on that list, you own that money, so you’re paying him for nothing at that point in time,” Schefter added. “So, I would imagine there are some back-and-forth conversations here.
“The Seahawks absolutely were signing him, planning to sign him, and I still think that they will wind up signing him. But you’ve to figure out and account for all the legal issues that he’s facing, how the NFL is going to handle it, and there are conversations that are being navigated right now.”
Arnold’s legal issues arose after he allegedly orchestrated the kidnapping and beating of three men whom prosecutors believe he wrongly suspected of stealing $100,000 in cash from him, along with luxury watches and bags. Subsequently, he pleaded guilty and turned himself in. Now, he’s facing four counts of kidnapping and four counts of armed robbery. The charges carry a potential sentence of life in prison.
That said, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport recently confirmed that the Seahawks are still planning to sign Terrion Arnold despite the league placing him on the Commissioner’s Exempt list. But at the same time, the team is working through the timing, and it will take a while before the deal is finalized. As for Arnold, he’s expected to be the Seahawks’ No. 3 cornerback if the league decides not to keep him on the list for the entire season.