Why Was Damon Arnette Cut from Las Vegas Raiders?

Damon Arnette has been making headlines ever since the Las Vegas Raiders waived the second-year cornerback. 

And for those wondering, “why was Damon Arnette cut or what did Damon Arnette say” according to general manager Mike Mayock, Arnette was videotaped brandishing firearms and threatening to kill someone in a social media-style post. 

The video was recorded by Arnette, where he repeatedly threatened to kill someone and warned the person he had “a whole army” and supposedly indicated they were five minutes away from his location.

During a press conference, Mayock noted the Raiders would not tolerate such behavior.

The content [of the video] was unacceptable, contrary to our values. Our owner, Mark Davis, has been very clear and consistent that this is not how we will conduct ourselves in this community. 

Mayock also added that they had spent significant time, effort, and resources trying to help him in all aspects of his life. Arnette had been making a series of poor decisions over the last year, but threatening to take a life was the final straw for the Raiders. 

Damon Arnette’s Other Lawsuit

Before this incident, Arnette already had lawsuits piled up. 

The first lawsuit was filed on October 5 and revolved around a hit-and-run that happened on October 14, 2020. Arnette was late to a meeting at the Raiders’ team headquarters, and to make it on time, he allegedly crashed into a woman’s vehicle. 

The woman was in the car at over 65 mph. Arnette, instead of resolving the issue, fled the scene and headed for the meeting. The woman claimed to have suffered several bodily injuries and is seeking $92,000 in damages. 

Arnette has denied the allegations and is looking forward to addressing these claims in court. 

The second lawsuit was filed by a hotel employee at the Aria Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The worker alleged that after he told Arnette that the valet could not recover his car because he lost his valet receipt, the Raiders’ cornerback berated the worker, spat on him, and poked him in the chest. 

Arnette had a valet receipt, which his girlfriend eventually recovered in his hotel room. The employee is seeking $500,000 for the altercation. 

Mike Mayock Concerned about Drafting Damon Arnette

Following a standout career at Ohio State, the Raiders selected Arnette as the 20th-overall pick in the 2020 draft. And since being drafted, he has only started seven of his nine games, collecting 25 tackles. He has yet to record an interception in his professional career. 

Mayock acknowledged there was “significant concern” over Arnette’s character given his young age. But the Raiders felt they could help him and knew the Ohio State coaching staff well enough to trust their advice and take on Arnette.

The manager added they felt it was an acceptable risk, but they were wrong given Arnette’s recent troubles. He then opined that it wasn’t too late for Arnette to clean up his life.