Total Pro Sports
Veteran NFL linebacker Zach Cunningham is taking his talents to Motor City.
Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Lions have signed Zach Cunningham to a one-year contract. Terms of the deal aren’t clear, but it’s presumably a one-year pact for the former Houston Texans star.
The 30-year-old was drafted in the second round (57th overall) by the Texans in 2017. He spent his first four-and-a-half seasons there before being waived in the midst of the 2021 campaign. Cunningham was then picked up by the AFC South rival Tennessee Titans, where he’d play through the 2022 campaign.
Unfortunately, injuries limited Zach Cunningham to six games in 2022. He later signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, appearing in 13 games and helping them to a third straight playoff appearance.
The #Lions have added some veteran LB depth, signing Zach Cunningham, source says. The long-time #Texans standout most recently played for the #Broncos and #Eagles. pic.twitter.com/XRWUHxNPsN
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 27, 2025
The Denver Broncos took a flier on Cunningham last season, first joining their practice squad before eventually suiting up for seven games. Cunningham had four tackles in those contests.
Cunningham recorded over 100 tackles every year from 2018 to 2020, including a league-leading 164 combined tackles in the latter year. That season, he also had a career-high three sacks, two pass breakups and one forced fumble.
In 102 career games, Zach Cunningham has 709 combined tackles, 6.5 sacks, one interception, 23 pass breakups and five forced fumbles.
Cunningham has been to the postseason five times in his career, but he’s only had the luxury of experiencing a single playoff win (the Texans’ victory over the Buffalo Bills in the 2019 Wild Card Round).
But he’ll get the opportunity to finally win it all on a star-studded Detroit team that enters 2025 as one of the early favorites to win Super Bowl 60. Detroit is coming off a franchise-best 15-2 record that shockingly culminated with a loss to the Washington Commanders in the Divisional Round.
