Before the Detroit Lions wrapped its offseason workout dates, head coach Dan Campbell updated his team’s progress before training camp arrives at the end of next month.
Slowed by injury last season, cornerback Terrion Arnold now doesn’t appear locked in as a defensive starter for Detroit.
“It’s just about competing. We’ve got a lot of good guys in that room. And he knows this. He’s got to go earn it,” Campbell said.
Arnold played in just eight games and started seven last season as he dealt with a right shoulder injury that he suffered against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 5 and then re-aggravated in November. A 2024 first-round NFL draft pick, Arnold underwent multiple shoulder surgeries after his season ended following a Week 13 date against the Green Bay Packers.
While Campbell indicated that Arnold will have to fight to retain his starting job, the Lions‘ head coach also said not to read too much into Arnold working with the two’s in parts of Detroit’s minicamp.
“He took some stuff on the first field earlier, the first week, the first couple of days. And then we mixed it up. So, the most important thing for him is just making sure that he’s healthy. That’s step one. The rehab, which he’s done a good job with. He’s getting better.
“We feel good about where he’s at in that regard, but that’s the most important thing because he’s not full-speed right now. At least he’s non-contact. He’s moving pretty good, all that stuff. And so, just make sure that you stay on top of that, you’re ready to go for training camp and then it’s on,” Campbell said.
Arnold updated reporters this week on where he feels he’s at in his injury recovery.
“Right now, I would say I’m at about 75-80%,” Arnold said Wednesday. “I think the main thing for me is just knowing that I am healthy now. … Just being able to go out there and enter (training) camp knowing that I had the surgeries, got worked on, feeling better. I’m ready for that.”
Arnold said he welcomes the competition.
“I wouldn’t say it’s pressure,” he said. “I feel like, when you go out here in the NFL, competition breeds excellence. … (The front office’s) job is to go out there and find guys to come into the room to push the guys. When you go out there and you have environments like that, that’s environments that I thrive in. … That’s what the NFL is all about.
“If you don’t have that or if you don’t have coaches who are going out there trying to find guys to replace you, to push you, it’s not going to get the best out of you.”
As Arnold has been navigating his rehab, his name also surfaced in court documents detailing an armed robbery and kidnapping incident that took place in Florida this past winter. Arnold has not been charged in the case and has denied involvement.
Arnold has appeared in 24 regular-season games, totaling 91 tackles, 18 passes defended, one interception and one fumble recovery.
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This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Detroit Lions CB Terrion Arnold battling for starting opportunity
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