Houston Roughnecks v Birmingham Stallions Stew Milne/UFL/GettyImages

This former Chiefs defender is begging for one last NFL chance

Originally posted on Arrowhead Addict | By Matt Conner | Last updated May 19, 2025 8:33 AM ET

Damon Arnette's stint with the Kansas City Chiefs was shorter than anyone wanted it to be.

For the Chiefs, the signing of Arnette, a former NFL cornerback, was a play on a low-risk, high-reward play in the secondary back in 2022. For Arnette, the opportunity to play for Steve Spagnuolo's defense was an ideal place to land after a problematic start to his professional career with the Las Vegas Raiders.

It would only take eight days for Arnette to find himself back in legal trouble again, and the Chiefs quickly showed him the door just over a week after signing him to a reserve/futures deal. Arnette was only a couple of weeks from at least getting to bask in some Super Bowl glory and swag.

Former Chiefs corner Damon Arnette is finally aiming for a redemptive turn in the NFL.

If you've been watching the UFL this spring, then you've likely noticed Arnette's name coming up from time as a solid performer for the Houston Roughnecks. For example, here's an example of Arnette earning a pick-six against the Birmingham Stallions earlier in May.

DA with a house call @Verizon pic.twitter.com/1o7qPEpo4h
— Houston Roughnecks (@XFLRoughnecks) May 13, 2025

After being out of the National Football League for the last three years, Arnette is hoping to finally return after turning heads in the UFL. In a recent interview with KPRC reporter Aaron Wilson, Arnette swears he's a changed man, saying he's "proved a complete turnaround" for his current coaching staff.

“What I would say is what they see on film, that’s me being out of commission for three years. I’m a dawg on the field. I’m more of a professional now than I ever was before," said Arnette. "I wasn’t a professional before. I was just a dawg. I found professionalism and a calm state of mind. I feel like I’m the best version of myself that I’ve ever been."

Arnette entered the NFL as a former first-round pick for the Raiders, but the team released him just one year later when a video surfaced showing him making alleged death threats against someone while wielding a gun. A short stint with the Miami Dolphins followed before he was again released and that's when the Chiefs extended a branch.

Unfortunately, Arnette would find himself arrested for assault with a deadly weapon among other charges. He would ultimately take a plea deal in exchange for some fines and community service. From that moment in late-January 2022, Arnette wouldn't make it back onto a football field in a professional sense until this current season with Houston.

Chiefs general manager Brett Veach has a history of taking such chances, even if they have a low potential of working out. The cost is minimal so it makes sense to if someone like Arnette, Josh Jackson, DeAndre Baker, Mike Hughes, and others can make a difference in the secondary.

Given his pedigree as a former first-round pick, it makes sense that some team might take a chance on him once again. Don't expect it to be the Chiefs, but here's hoping Arnette finds a chance to further his story in a meaningful way.

This article first appeared on Arrowhead Addict and was syndicated with permission.

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