It has been five days since it was reported the Seattle Seahawks were set to sign cornerback Terrion Arnold, and four days since head coach Mike Macdonald first addressed the deal to media. Yet, the signing hasn’t been made official — and now there’s some explanation as to why.
The Seahawks are working through the timing of Arnold’s signing, something that “will take a while,” NFL Network and ESPN’s Ian Rapoport reported on Tuesday. Rapoport added that Arnold will be placed on the commissioner’s exempt list immediately upon signing, ruling him ineligible to practice or play for the team.
The #Seahawks’ are still planning to sign CB Terrion Arnold but are working through the timing and it will take a while, sources tell me and @MikeGarafolo.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 18, 2026
Arnold will be placed on the commissioner’s exempt list when he signs, meaning he’d be ineligible to play or practice. pic.twitter.com/uH54Hjnd9k
Rapoport’s colleague Mike Garafolo added other teams that met with Arnold, including the Texans and Giants, faced uncertainty around Arnold’s status. Now, with Seattle and Arnold having agreed to terms, the team has to work through the logistics of the cornerback’s signing.
Arnold is set to join the Seahawks after he was waived by the Detroit Lions, who drafted him in the first round of the 2024 draft, following an offseason arrest that left him facing multiple felony kidnapping and robbery charges.
The 23-year-old, out of custody on a $1 million bond, is scheduled to have his next court date on Monday, October 5, in Tampa, Florida.