Report: Former Raiders CB Damon Arnette arrested on meth, firearm charges

| American Football | 02/27/2024

By Ryan Young, Staff Writer

Former Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Damon Arnette was arrested in Texas last month and charged with possession of meth and the unlawful carrying of a firearm, according to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Arnette was arrested in the Dallas area on Jan. 6 at 3:30 a.m., per the report. It’s not clear specifically what led to the arrest. While the meth charge is a felony in the state, it typically does not result in jail time as Arnette was allegedly carrying less than a single gram.

Arnette’s attorneys issued a statement on Monday night, and said he was only arrested because he was “unable to provide law enforcement with his prescription for a lawful medication.”

Arnette spent five years playing at Ohio State, and he racked up 35 total tackles and he had a 96-yard interception return for a touchdown in his senior campaign in 2019. Arnette was then selected by the Raiders with the No. 19 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Arnette had 25 total tackles in nine games in his rookie season. He ended up playing in just 13 games with the team over two seasons, however, due to various injuries. Arnette was waived during the 2021 season after several legal issues, including facing a lawsuit for an alleged hit-and-run and for a video that appeared to show him pointing multiple guns at the camera while threatening to kill someone.

The Chiefs signed Arnette briefly, but released him before he played in a single game with the team after he was arrested in 2022 on assault charges. He was arrested on drug charges later that year in South Florida, too.

Arnette said in August that, after he resolved one of his court cases, he was hopeful about a possible return to the league.

“If I’m blessed enough to get another chance in the NFL, then I’m going to kill that,” he said last year, via The Associated Press. “I’ve learned a lot. I’m remorseful about everything. I appreciate and respect another opportunity. I’m a better man than I was.”

It’s unclear if, especially after his latest arrest, Arnette will ever get that chance.

Read original Yahoo Sports article.