BREAKING: Packers ‘Explored’ Signing Former First-Round Cornerback

The Green Bay Packers are still exploring their options for signing a veteran cornerback to their roster before the start of NFL training camp next month.

According to NFL insider Aaron Wilson, the Packers had “explored” signing former first-round pick and veteran cornerback Damon Arnette before he agreed to terms last week with the Houston Texans on a one-year contract for the 2025 season.

“#Texans weren’t the only #NFL team interested in Damon Arnette Jr.,” Wilson wrote Friday on X. “#49ers general manager John Lynch discussed him with UFL. #Packers were another team that explored Arnette option.”

Arnette, a 2020 first-round selection, made seven starts in nine games as a rookie for the Las Vegas Raiders, but his performance issues and off-field issues prompted the team to release him roughly two months into his second season. He has not played an NFL game since, though he has spent time on multiple teams’ practice squads.

Most recently, Arnette played in the UFL for the Houston Roughnecks, recording 16 tackles and a 49-yard pick-six for them during the 2025 season earlier this spring.

Damon Arnette Interest Suggests Packers Could Add CB

The Packers won’t be adding Arnette to their roster, but the fact that they explored him as a potential option suggests they could still sign another corner before camp begins.

The Packers have projected confidence in their primary cornerbacks in the weeks since they released two-time Pro Bowl starter Jaire Alexander. Keisean Nixon, Nate Hobbs and Carrington Valentine have all played multiple seasons in the NFL and have the team’s trust at the top of the depth chart. The depth behind them is shallow, though.

Kalen King and rookie Micah Robinson — both seventh-round picks — are the next-in-line cornerbacks in the pecking order coming out of OTAs, but neither one has played a single defensive snap in the NFL. The Packers also experimented with wide receiver Bo Melton at cornerback in the spring, out of curiosity and desperation caused by injuries.

Even if the Packers have faith in King and Robinson to secure roster spots, it would suit them to add another veteran cornerback to the roster to challenge them — or potentially give them a hidden gem that keeps their defense stronger heading into the 2025 season.

Which Other Free-Agent CBs Are Available for Packers?

If the Packers decide not to stop after missing out on Arnette, there are some other free-agent cornerbacks who could potentially interest them in the coming weeks.

One possibility is another former Raider: Jack Jones. He had three interceptions and 16 pass deflections and made 16 starts for the Raiders in 2024, but the team released him for salary-cap relief early in the 2025 offseason, making him a free agent. The Packers might need to offer Jones a modest sum to secure his services, but the 28-year-old could add meaningful value to their cornerback rotation.

The Packers could also take a riskier shot on Asante Samuel Jr., if they are comfortable with his health once he gets his next update. The 25-year-old is one of the best unsigned talents at the position ahead of July, but he had offseason neck surgery that has given teams pause and left him in a sort of free-agent limbo.

Again, though, if the medicals check out to the Packers’ satisfaction, Samuel could come in and push Valentine for his spot, giving them a strong four-man rotation either way.