Lions' Terrion Arnold eyeing training camp return from shoulder injury

Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold (6) tackles Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze (15) during the second half at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025.

Arnold remains penciled in for one starting cornerback job in the Lions secondary while six of his associates sit in a Florida jail awaiting trial this August on felony robbery and kidnapping charges. Prosecutors describe the a case of vigilante justice designed to exact revenge for the theft of more than $250,000 in cash and goods from Arnold.

Arnold, who has not been charged in the case and has denied involvement, hosted about 25 kids with incarcerated parents for a night at Dave & Buster’s last week in conjunction with the Pure Heart Foundation.

Arnold said the cause is near and dear to him because his mother spent time in jail when he was in fifth grade.

“Just watching how people bash my mom, watching everything that they put her through and just seeing her in newspapers and stuff, and then if it wasn’t for the person I had like my grandad and my family to help build me up then I would have been a part of that broken society cause I was a broken person then,” Arnold said. “I still remember the day her mugshot was going through the newspaper, I went in the bathroom, I cried and it really just broke me down and I was really, really angry at the world and confused.

“And then just even when my mom got out, just the label and the stigma that she had, like just watching people judge her and seeing the type of person she has become now, people wouldn’t even expect that we went through that when I was younger. So I just want to be that person to be there for the kids because a lot of times you might be mad at the world, you might be angry, you might think it’s no hope for you but I’m just here to show them like, ‘Hey man, you got somebody who’s an advocate for you, you got somebody who’s going to support you, you can ask me any questions you want to ask, cause I was that person that was in your shoes.’”

Arnold on Abney

Arnold said he watched tape of cornerback Keith Abney after the Lions took him in the fifth round of last month’s draft and believes Abney will be an asset for the secondary this fall.

“He’s a playmaker,” Arnold said. “I asked a couple questions about him, he’s a smart kid, very instinctual football player. I think he’s going to come in and make a lot of big plays, make the room better.”

Arizona State Sun Devils defensive back Keith Abney II (1) breaks up a pass intended for Texas State Bobcats wide receiver Chris Dawn Jr. (1) in the second quarter of the game between Arizona State Sun Devils and Texas State Bobcats in Tempe, Arizona, on ept. 13, 2025.

The Lions intend to start Abney at slot cornerback this fall, where he’ll compete for time with Roger McCreary, Christian Izien and others.

Abney had six interceptions while playing primarily as an outside cornerback the past three seasons at Arizona State.

“Some of the things that coaches were saying, they just kind of raved about his football IQ,” Arnold said. “And obviously with him playing nickel or him playing the slot, I know his football IQ is hard because playing in the slot, a lot of people kind of underestimate the position but you have to know all the checks, you have to know the run fits, you have to know personnel groupings and then on top of that, you’re kind of like, not necessarily the leader of the secondary but you’re a communicator. ... So I know he’s an instinctual football player. I’m looking forward to getting him in.”

Lions rookies report this weekend and will join veterans on field for Phase 2 of the offseason program next week.

Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him atdbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him onBluesky,XandInstagramat @davebirkett.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Terrion Arnold injury update: Lions CB eyeing training camp return