The contract dispute was eventually settled, but Arrington then found himself unable to get on the field. He was a marginal player in the first six games of the season last year and didn't play at all in a loss at Denver. Coaches said Arrington was still recovering from his knee injury, but there was also the sense that Arrington, a creative player known to make big plays by freelancing on the field, wasn't a good fit in assistant coach Gregg Williams' disciplined defensive schemes.
Arrington eventually regained his starting job at midseason, but was not the impact player he had been in years past. He finished the season without a sack, and his only interception came in the playoff victory at Tampa Bay.