Two months since the Raiders cut ties with former first round pick Damon Arnette, he has found a new home with the rival Kansas City Chiefs. No, he isn’t going to be suiting up for their team in the playoffs. He’s been signed to a reserve/future deal, so he will be on the team’s offseason roster.
If you are here wondering why the Raiders would cut a former first rounder midseason, well here’s the thing…
Arnette took to social media, posting a video of himself brandishing several high powered firearms and threatening to kill someone. Then GM Mike Mayock moved swiftly to release Arnette, saying threatening someone’s life is unacceptable.
This was the last straw for a team that had already dealt with several other strange behavioral issues with Arnette, including the second-year pro crashing four rental cars in a month.
It was also more than the team wanted to deal with in light of all the controversy they had faced this season, what with Gruden’s forced resignation and Henry Ruggs III’s DUI crash that killed a young woman and her dog.
On top of all of this, Arnette just hadn’t proven himself to be talented enough on the football to be worth the trouble. So, Mayock pulled the cord on the player he spent a first round pick on just a year prior.
Mayock admitted the team drafted Arnette despite serious concerns about his character. He added that he wished Arnette well and thought he was talented enough to get another shot elsewhere. If that turns out to be true, Arnette could get to face his former team a couple times next season.