ALLEN PARK — Terrion Arnold’s shoulder and his potential return have had a wild week of up-and-down reports.
At first, it sounded like his season could be over. Then a second opinion came through with a positive prognosis that the second-year cornerback could be back as soon as this month.
Dan Campbell confirmed the positive second opinion. But the Lions coach shed some doubt on a potential return this month, saying it could still be a while as they let the inflammation calm down.
“But yeah, the second opinion came back, and it sounds like it could be promising, but that’s no guarantee either,” Campbell said. “So, we’re kind of in this wait and see, and we’ll hold off here a little bit and just see where he goes.”
Arnold spoke with reporters in the locker room on Wednesday afternoon. Last year’s first-round pick said when he first got the news, he “wanted to cry.” Then the second opinion was more positive, and now his focus is on healing and returning to action as soon as possible.
The cornerback entered the game after dealing with a shoulder injury suffered in the last game. Arnold said it was nagging and there was constant irritation, but it’s one of those things you have to play through. Arnold said the injury happened when trying to make a diving tackle. He reached even though “in football, they say don’t reach,” and when he hit the ground, that’s what did it.
“Right now, I’m just trying to stay as positive as possible,” Arnold said. I feel like with those different opinions and having different people look at it, like my second opinion went very, very well. Like I said, just trying to stay positive on it.
“Yeah (out for a few weeks at least). I don’t know how many weeks. My body heals fast. But just trying to get on the field with my teammates as fast as possible.”
Campbell credited Arnold for playing his best game in some time against the Cincinnati Bengals last weekend. The cornerback said it was the first time he felt free in a stretch.
Arnold said some family issues were going on off the field, paired with the tough start to the year. He credited Campbell, defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard and cornerbacks coach Deshea Townsend for lifting him and keeping his confidence high.
“That game right there, it was like back to myself,” Arnold said. “Training camp mode, and then when that happened, it kind of like devasted me. I’m trying to come back as fast as I can.
“I just felt like I was back to my old self. Like I said, those first couple games, I was dealing with a lot of stuff off the field. Even being able to come in the building and knowing that you have coaches that you can talk to. Me being able to talk to Coach Campbell in his office and him keeping my spirits high. Having coach Shep to keep my spirits high, and coach Deshea. It just allowed me to have that relief, like, ‘OK, I can get back to doing what I do.’”
Arnold added that Campbell prides himself on “being a safe haven” for players when they are struggling. The coach’s response made the cornerback feel, “Dang, coach, you really have my back. You really mean what you say.” That type of support from the head man allowed him to have a sigh of relief, then deliver a much better performance on the field.
Arnold got hit for two more defensive penalties, one that negated a safety by pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson. But he responded well, remained sticky in coverage, and knocked away a couple of passes.
The Lions and Arnold were more than pleased with his showing against the Bengals. And for a fleeting second, it was a very good sign with fellow corner D.J. Reed (hamstring) on injured reserve.
Expect to see Amik Robertson play an even more important role until Reed and/or Arnold return. Robertson has moved from the inside to the outside before, and the Lions have a ton of confidence in the sticky veteran.
Other defensive backs likely in line for a boost are veterans Rock Ya-Sin and Avonte Maddox. Both have experience all over the secondary, with Ya-Sin looking like a safe bet to play on the outside while Maddox fills in some of the gaps on the inside.
“He’s (Robertson) more than a security blanket. This guy is — it’s one of the reasons why we wanted to get him here as a free agent, because he’s so feisty and competitive,” Campbell said. “One of the things he really majors in is man coverage. He’s a sticky cover guy. Very confident, he’s got great hips, movement skills, and he’s got ball skills.
“We are completely comfortable with him playing outside and playing in the slot.”
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.