Detroit Lions Have One of the Lowest Players Arrest Records Since 2000

NFL player arrests are a bit more common than the average fan would like. Many times these arrests are for minor offenses, but there have been some extreme examples of domestic violence and sexual violence in the league over the years.

Naturally, with social media and instant access to news, it would seem that players are getting in trouble more than ever. Truthfully, the rates aren't as outlandish as they may seem, as roughly 47 players per year are arrested out of the 2,000+ that are employed by an NFL  franchise throughout a season. That's roughly 1.5 arrests per team per year.

But not every team has arrests every year. Some teams have lower arrest rates than others, which fans can certainly appreciate as much as coaches and owners do.

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The Detroit Lions are one of those teams. The Lions have seen just 19 arrests since 2000, according to a database from USA Today. Of those arrests, three were repeat offenders, so just 16 players on the Lions roster over the past 23 years have been arrested.

If it sounds like a low rate compared to the rest of the NFL, that's because it is. The Lions total number of arrests since 2000 is the 2nd-lowest in the NFL, nearly 43% lower than the NFL average of 33. Only the Houston Texans, which although founded in 1999 did not participate in an NFL season until 2002, has fewer arrests with 17.

In theory, the Lions have fewer arrests than all teams that have played every year since 2000. However, eliminating the Lions' arrests before the 2002 season would only bring the team's total down by one, still giving Houston the edge. Both teams tie for the fewest individual player arrests, each with 16.

Still, Detroit only has one player arrest since the start of the 2015 season - Houston has since had six.

The worst year for Lions arrests by far was 2012. That year at least one arrest occurred each month from January to July between four players.

Still, the culture in Detroit's locker room today is often praised and for many good reasons. That's why it's worth noting that the Lions haven't had a single player arrested since Dan Campbell was hired as head coach.

Compared to their NFC North rivals, Detroit seems saintly (but not like the New Orleans Saints, which had 34 arrests). The Green Bay Packers had 31 player arrests, the Chicago Bears had 36 and the Minnesota Vikings lead the entire NFL with 60.

Below is a gallery of the players that have been arrested since 2000 through today, Valentine's Day 2024. The USA Today database is consistently updated and can be viewed in its entirety here.

DISCLAIMER: An arrest and a conviction are not the same. The outcome of each arrest will be included in the gallery as available. This list is for information and entertainment purposes only and is not intended to target any group or specific player, former or otherwise. The USA Today database, from which this article and the following gallery are cited, carries its own disclaimer: "The data comes from media reports and public records. It cannot be considered fully complete because records of some player arrests might not have been found for various reasons, including lack of media coverage or accessible public records. Many resolutions to these cases also are pending or could not be immediately found."