Damon Arnette Arrested, Subsequently Released by Chiefs
Less than two weeks ago, the Kansas City Chiefs signed cornerback Damon Arnette to a reserve/futures contract. Before the month of January even came to a close, the former Las Vegas Raiders defensive back was arrested in Vegas on Friday night.
Per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Chiefs released Arnette immediately following his arrest on Friday night. Arnette faces multiple charges following his arrest, including assault with a deadly weapon, possession and carrying a concealed weapon without a permit. This continues a stretch of bad decisions by a player who was the 19th overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Raiders. A Saturday morning TMZ story has more details:
The 25-year-old cornerback was busted for assault with a deadly weapon, carrying a concealed weapon and possession of a controlled substance after a dispute allegedly occurred at the Park MGM on Las Vegas Boulevard.
It's unclear what drug Arnette allegedly had on him.
A witness tells us Damon attempted to retrieve a car without a valet ticket ... leading to a dispute. We're told Arnette pulled a gun, and the police were eventually called.
Per Nate Taylor of The Athletic, Arnette made a choice to sign with Kansas City over another team. This was largely because of the Chiefs' offerings such as counseling and the ability/willingness to let him redeem himself. Andy Reid's history of finding success with players looking for a second chance was another factor in the decision-making process.
In October, Arnette was the subject of a lawsuit following a car crash. He was released by the Raiders in November following a video that surfaced in which he was displaying a firearm and threatening to kill someone. Hondo Carpenter of Raider Maven provided a more detailed and intricate summary of the situation, in addition to pulling quotes from former Raiders general manager Mike Mayock.
"Today we waived Damon Arnette," Mayock said. "We spent significant time and resources to help him. We can't stand the video of Damon with a gun threatening to take a life."
There was great concern surrounding Damon Arnette from a character perception, and Mayock addressed that.
"There was significant concern," yet Mayock said the Raiders organization felt that was something the team could handle. "It's just as important to me that these guys are good in the community as well as good football players."
Warning: The aforementioned video of Arnette (featured below) contains very strong language.
Arnette was a standout cornerback at Ohio State University and once displayed legitimate promise of becoming a productive NFL player. Unfortunately, his off-the-field issues continue to pose a serious threat to his playing future. In 13 career games (seven starts), he has recorded 29 tackles and three passes broken up.
