Las Vegas Raiders have cut cornerback Damon Arnette after video surfaced this weekend of Arnette making death threats.
The Las Vegas Raiders have waived second-year cornerback Damon Arnette after video surfaced this weekend of Arnette making death threats while brandishing firearms.
Arnette, 25, had been on injured reserve since Oct. 9. He is also facing lawsuits stemming from a Las Vegas car accident last October.
“Very painful decision,” said Raiders general manager Mike Mayock in a conference call. “We spent significant time, effort and resources trying to help him in all aspects of his life.
“There have been a series of bad decisions over the last year or so, but we can’t stand, we cannot stand for the video of Damon with a gun, threatening to take a life.
“The content was unacceptable, contrary to our values and our owner Mark Davis has been very clear and very consistent that this is not how we will conduct ourselves in this community. The bottom line — the Raiders will not tolerate this type of behavior.”
Mayock added that he had talked with Arnette, his father and others in his life and “from my perspective, he’s a very talented young man with a good heart. He cleans up his life, I know he can make a living in the NFL. But not now, with the Raiders.”
A surprise selection at No. 19 out of Ohio State, Arnette played in just 13 games, with seven starts, since the start of last season and had three total passes defended and 29 tackles, 23 solo.
Mayock acknowledged there was “significant concern” over Arnette’s character coming out of college, but the Raiders felt they could help him on and off the field and knew the Ohio State coaching staff well enough to trust its advice and take on Arnette.
“At the time, we thought it was an acceptable risk … after doing more homework on Arnette than anybody we’ve done in the years I’ve been here. And obviously, we missed, and that is 100% on me.”
