The Houston Texans announced the signing of cornerback Damon Arnette Jr. last week as a deep bench option on their secondary. Following the retirement of ten-year veteran Ronald Darby, the Texans needed to boost their cornerback rotation and turned to the UFL to find their guy.
Arnette Jr. signed a one-year, veteran minimum deal with the Texans to return to the NFL after three full seasons away due to legal troubles and personal issues.
It turns out, however, that Houston wasn't the only team that was aggressively pursuing Arnette. NFL insider Aaron Wilson reported that the Texans beat out the San Francisco 49ers and the Green Bay Packers to sign the polarizing defender.
#Texans weren't the only #NFL team interested in Damon Arnette Jr. #49ers general manager John Lynch discussed him with UFL. #Packers were another team that explored Arnette option @KPRC2
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) June 27, 2025
“It was a couple of teams that were reaching out on him,” Johnston said. “He’s got… https://t.co/dMeoGj7Skt
Damon Arnette Jr. Snubs 2 Contenders to Sign With the Texans
Daryl Johnston, the UFL executive vice president of football operations, revealed to Wilson that he has received calls from teams asking about Arnette. He said that he was making sure that Arnette's past issues were behind him and he had matured enough to make an impact in the NFL.
The fact that multiple teams who are trying to win the Super Bowl as soon as the 2025 season were interested in Arnette is a testament to his talent and the hard work he has put in to get back to where he is now. The former first-round pick obviously has the athletic tools and the skill set to be an NFL cornerback, but whether he has enough left at age 28 to be a difference maker remains to be seen.
What is a good sign for the Texans is that a coveted free agent with multiple contenders to choose from signed with them.
Perhaps it was the reported persistence by head coach DeMeco Ryans or Arnette's desire to stay in Houston after spending last season with the Roughnecks of the UFL. Regardless, Texans fans are hoping that Arnette can continue the nice momentum he has built and make an impact on the team in the 2025 season.