Introduction
Arden Key Jr. (born May 3, 1996) is an American football linebacker for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at LSU, and was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Early years
Key attended Hapeville Charter Career Academy in Union City, Georgia. He recorded 15.5 sacks as a senior, eight as a junior and 12 as a sophomore. He committed to Louisiana State University (LSU) to play college football.
Regarded as a four-star recruit by ESPN, Key was ranked as the No. 6 defensive end prospect in the class of 2015.
College career
As a true freshman at LSU in 2015, Key played in 12 games and started the final nine. He recorded 41 tackles and five sacks and was named a freshman All-American. As a sophomore in 2016, he set a single-season school record by recording 12 sacks. He earned first-team All-Southeastern Conference honors from the Associated Press. As a junior in 2017, Key was limited to 8 games due to injury, but finished with 33 tackles, 4 sacks, and a forced fumble. On January 4, 2018, Key officially announced that he would be entering the 2018 NFL Draft.
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Wonderlic | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 4+7⁄8 in (1.95 m) |
238 lb (108 kg) |
33+1⁄2 in (0.85 m) |
10 in (0.25 m) |
4.88 s | 1.75 s | 2.76 s | 4.25 s | 7.16 s | 31 in (0.79 m) |
9 ft 9 in (2.97 m) |
18 | |
| All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day | ||||||||||||
Prior to Key's junior season, he was projected as the number one overall prospect for the 2018 NFL Draft by Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports. In January 2018, he was ranked as the number two draft prospect at the outside linebacker position, behind Tremaine Edmunds of Virginia Tech, by Mel Kiper of ESPN. Key was projected to be an early first round selection, but his off-the-field issues caused his draft stock to plummet. Key ended up being selected by the Oakland Raiders in the third round as the 87th pick overall.
Oakland / Las Vegas Raiders
After having two sacks in the final two games he played in the 2019 season, Key suffered a broken foot and was ruled out the rest of the season. He was placed on injured reserve on November 7, 2019.
Key was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the team on November 18, 2020, and activated three days later. On December 26, 2020, in a Week 16 home game against the Miami Dolphins, Key committed a 15-yard personal foul penalty when he grabbed the facemask of Dolphin QB Ryan Fitzpatrick on a play where the Dolphins gained 34 yards; the penalty and catch put Miami in field goal range and Miami hit one from 44 yards to earn a 26-25 win, which eliminated the Raiders from playoff contention.
Key was waived on April 15, 2021.
San Francisco 49ers
On April 23, 2021, Key signed a one-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers.
Jacksonville Jaguars
On March 30, 2022, Key signed a one-year contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He played in all 17 games with three starts, recording 27 tackles and 4.5 sacks.
Tennessee Titans
On March 20, 2023, Key signed a three-year, $21 million contract with the Tennessee Titans.