RENTON, Wash. — As Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald met the media after a walk-through Friday, he made clear the team feels comfortable that the potential reward in bringing in cornerback Terrion Arnold is worth the risk.

As Macdonald spoke, Arnold was not yet officially a Seahawk.

But at some point soon, the cornerback is expected to sign a one-year contract and join the Seahawks, resuming his football career after having been waived by the Detroit Lions in June after being charged with eight felony counts relating to an incident in Tampa in February — four for robbery and four for kidnapping.

“I think it was an opportunity to bring on a player that we felt strongly about during the (2024) draft process,’’ Macdonald said. “And we also understand that it’s a serious situation with a legal matter that there’s a process behind it, so we respect that.’’

Arnold, for now, is legally free to play in the NFL as the court process begins. His next listed court date is a status hearing on Oct. 5 in Tampa.

It’s still unclear if he will be suspended by the NFL.

The league could place him on the commissioner’s exempt list (a “special player status available to clubs only in unusual circumstances”) for an indefinite period of time as it conducts its own investigation, during which he could not practice or play.

Macdonald said the team has not been told anything by the league about Arnold’s potential availability this season.

Macdonald said the team is “letting that process play out and let the league decide if and when his return to play (is), just understand that’s at play, but there’s also an opportunity to bring him in and give him an opportunity to earn a position here.’’

Arnold worked out for the Seahawks last Sunday, with a few scenes of that event later broadcast on “Hard Knocks’’ on Tuesday, including Macdonald giving Arnold a hug.

Macdonald said it was talks with those in the organization who know him — such as backup quarterback Jalen Milroe who played with him at Alabama and on Thursday called him his best friend — as well as their own interactions with Arnold that made them feel comfortable enough to sign him.

The Seahawks also aren’t taking much of a financial risk as it has been reported Arnold will sign for what is expected to be the league minimum.

“We had a great visit with Terrion (during his workout) and obviously we knew him going through the (2024 draft) process and I referenced the folks that had been in his corner throughout the whole process as well, and we respect those people and we’re not going to ignore those folks that we really respect and have a strong opinion about it as well,’’ Macdonald said. “So kind of when you put all those things together, we felt like it was a good opportunity for the team.’’

Still, when Arnold does arrive, he will do so carrying a cloud due to the serious allegations that will follow him to Seattle.

As detailed in a press release from the Florida state attorney’s office, Arnold is alleged to have planned and orchestrated a revenge plot that involved beating and kidnapping three men he believed had stolen $100,000 in cash as well as other items such as expensive bags and watches from an Airbnb in Largo, Fla.

Specifically “Arnold is accused of coordinating and directing the (six) co-defendants to lure three men to an apartment where the victims were robbed, beaten and held at gunpoint.”

However, investigators later determined that the victims in the kidnapping case were not involved in the robbery.

Macdonald said the team would not address any questions specific to the allegations saying “that is not our place’’ but said “it’s a serious situation. We understand that. But to make any comment further is not the time or place right now.’’

That included Macdonald saying the team would not answer whether what it learned of the situation made them feel comfortable that Arnold will be able to play this year.

“I respect the question,’’ Macdonald said. “It’s just if you start to give your opinion on it then now we’re kind of getting to the spot where we shouldn’t really be answering those questions. Just trying to be as clear as possible that we felt like we’ve done our due diligence. It’s just something that in terms of the legal situation we just can’t make a comment on right now.’’

As for investigatory work the team did on Arnold that led to the signing, Macdonald noted the team had “a really high grade’’ on Arnold in 2024, when Seattle had the 16th overall pick and used it on defensive lineman Byron Murphy II, with Arnold then going 24th to Detroit.

What appears to have specifically clinched the decision was the workout Arnold had with the team Sunday and talks with others in the building who know him, a list that also includes defensive passing game coordinator Karl Scott, who helped handle Arnold’s recruitment to Alabama in 2020.

Macdonald said everything the team heard about Arnold was “overwhelmingly positive. It really is. And again, it’s a serious situation … there’s allegations there that are serious. But if you separate that from the person that they talk about on the daily basis and their history with him, it’s been really overwhelmingly positive.’’

Macdonald also said he had his own “great visit’’ and “great discussion’’ with Arnold on Sunday.

“It was a real discussion and we just kept it real,’’ Macdonald said. “I have a responsibility coming from the organization about what we expect and also what our vision would be for him and how it would operate and he was great, he was great. I appreciated his honesty in those moments and that’s really all you could ask for.’’

As for when Arnold will sign and officially become a Seahawk and when he might step on the field, Macdonald said all that remains in flux and that “the timetable is being worked out.’’

“We’re working through that on when’s the best time to come in,’’ Macdonald said. “But we have an agreement with him and we’ll see. But really don’t know how we’re going to do it.’’

The Seahawks also knew that if they did not sign Arnold, someone else would. Arnold also had a reported visit with Houston in July and then had official visits on Tuesday with New Orleans and Wednesday with the New York Giants before deciding on Thursday to sign with the Seahawks.

“There’s an opportunity there if he’s the best version of himself that he could be a fit for us,’’ Macdonald said. “So we’ll see when he gets in the building. We’ll go about our business like we normally do and go try to be the best version of ourselves that we can possibly be and that includes him. And that’s the message to our team on the daily: we want our players to come in and be the best version of themselves and we believe that if you do that, the team is going to be better for it as well. So Terrion, it’s going to be the same process for him if and when he gets here.’’

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