KC Chiefs sign former Raiders CB Damon Arnette to futures contract

The Kansas City Chiefs have signed a familiar face from the AFC West in order to see if there’s anything there down the road by inking cornerback Damon Arnette to a reserve/futures deal on Thursday.

The futures signing means that Arnette will not be on the active roster during the postseason. Rather, Arnette is stashed away, so to speak, and will count against the roster limit during the upcoming offseason after the new league year begins. That’s when rosters swell to hold 90 players instead of the in-season limit of 53.

Arnette should be a recognized name to Chiefs fans, not only because he was a former first-round pick out of Ohio State by the Las Vegas Raiders but also because he was a part of the team’s tumultuous season in 2021. Arnette was cut by the Raiders just one year after using a top pick in the draft on him following the release of a video in which he was making death threats against someone else while holding a gun.

The Chiefs have signed former Raiders corner Damon Arnette.

Arnette was always considered a first-round reach by Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock, both of whom have been relieved of their duties in leadership for the Raiders. However, the ceiling is there to be a contributor at the pro level and the Chiefs haven’t shied away from such projects in the past. The present roster holds both Mike Hughes and Deandre Baker in the secondary as prime examples.

The Chiefs face some questions at the cornerback position heading into next season with the potential departure of Charvarius Ward and Hughes in free agency.

Arnette should be considered a long shot to make the team, a player with a very, very short leash given his off-the-field issues who also wasn’t earning a lot of playing time for the Raiders who invested such a high pick in him. Arnette had 4 tackles and 1 pass deflected in rotational time in four games this season. He started 7 games last year for the Raiders in an abbreviated season in which he missed time with a thumb injury.