Lions CB Terrion Arnold Sends 1-Word Message After New Injury

The Detroit Lions had a bit of an injury scare at Tuesday’s practice when starting cornerback Terrion Arnold exited early to be evaluated for a hamstring injury.

Arnold also didn’t have any clues to offer about how quickly he might return to the field for the Lions when he posted a one-word — and one emoji — message that afternoon.

“Hamstring,” Arnold posted Tuesday to his Snapchat story with a neutral-face emoji.

Arnold also engaged with another post about his injury on X. In response to Detroit Sports Podcast’s post about how Arnold walked out of practice “confidently,” Arnold reposted the message with two red exclamation points. Take from that what you will.

Arnold — the 24th overall pick last offseason — is projected to start opposite veteran D.J. Reed on the boundary for the Lions in 2025, but his hamstring injury could force the team to consider their other options if it sidelines him for an extended period.

The Lions could also take several days to share more information about Arnold’s injury, as they will not practice again until August 3 after their preseason opener on July 31.

Lions Threw Terrion Arnold into the Fire as Rookie

The Lions didn’t play things slow with Arnold during his 2024 rookie season, throwing him right into the starting lineup in Week 1 and counting on him to hold things down.

Unsurprisingly, Arnold struggled with the task early on. He allowed 14 receptions on the first 19 targets thrown into his coverage over the first four games and committed eight penalties, including five instances of defensive pass interference. Things improved for him as the season went along, though, as he and the Lions defense started to settle.

The final numbers did not paint a particularly great picture of Arnold’s play. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed the 10th-most receptions (56) in the league among cornerbacks and an opposing passer rating of 99.2, resulting in a relatively low (50.4) coverage grade from the analytics site. Arnold did, however, break up 10 passes.

The Lions have little reason to lose faith in Arnold just yet. He is still just 22 years old, after all, and showed many good things on tape throughout his turbulent rookie year. They also hope to have a steadier presence opposite him on the outside after signing veteran D.J. Reed to a three-year, $48 million contract in free agency, per Over the Cap.

The hamstring injury looms large until the Lions provide a further update, though.

Lions Are Now Down 3 Cornerbacks Due to Injuries

Arnold is not the only Lions cornerback who has missed time early in training camp.

Lions starting slot cornerback Amik Robertson missed two practices to close out the team’s abridged second week of camp practice. While it is unclear when the Lions will have him back on the practice field, Robertson has indicated it is not a major concern.

Meanwhile, cornerback Khalil Dorsey — who is competing for a depth spot in Detroit’s rotation — remains on the active/physically unable to perform (PUP) list. Lions head coach Dan Campbell told reporters he expects Dorsey will return in “late” camp, but an exact timeline is unknown.

The Lions might still get good news on Arnold’s hamstring and not have to worry as much about the cornerback depth on their roster. If the results determine that he will miss some time, though, don’t be surprised if the Lions fish for corners in free agency.