Linebacker Zach Cunningham played just 15 defensive snaps for the Denver Broncos in 2024, his ninth NFL season. However, the former Pinson Valley High School star has been working out since he signed with the Detroit Lions as an NFL free agent on May 27.
Derrick Barnes, Jack Campbell, and Alex Anzalone are the Lions’ starting linebackers for the 2025 campaign. However, in his pursuit of a contract extension, Anzalone skipped the optional portion of Detroit’s offseason training.
Due to a hamstring problem, Anzalone also missed the first five days of training camp. On Saturday, he was back on the field.
Of Cunningham, Lions coach Dan Campbell remarked, “He knows he’s got a great opportunity.” This is, man, whatever you can do here. Whether you can assist us with special teams or defense is up to you. He will be on all of these units in addition to working with us on the punt team.
He’s been a football player. This league is where he has played. He is an excellent athlete. He’s flowing because he’s a clever, instinctive man. Sometimes, man, it’s so easy. He moves fluidly. Just a few of his cover skills, cover ability, and watching him play—a couple of routes he had on (Detroit tight end Sam) LaPorta that he did a very nice job of in the spring—but we do a lot of things in the pass game because that’s really all you can practice in the spring.
He therefore contributes an athletic element that we find appealing. We’re interested. We’ll see. He realizes this is a fantastic chance for him, and we’re fascinated.
At 7 p.m. CDT on Thursday in Canton, Ohio, Detroit plays the Los Angeles Chargers in the NFL’s first preseason game. The game will be broadcast on NBC.
Cunningham, the NFL’s top tackler in 2020, was a member of Denver’s practice squad for the majority of the 2024 season. In addition to his 15 defensive snaps, he had 43 special-team plays throughout his seven regular-season games and one postseason game.
As a linebacker at Pinson Valley, Cunningham was named to the All-State team in 2011 and 2012. In 2012, he was named the Class 5A Lineman of the Year after recording 197 tackles, 41 of which were behind the line of scrimmage, and blocking four punts.
In 2016, Cunningham was named the Commodores’ first consensus All-American in thirty-two years, making him Vanderbilt’s first unanimous All-American.
After being selected in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans, Cunningham recorded 90 tackles in his rookie season, 107 in 2018, 142 in 2019, and an NFL-high 164 in 2020—including a league-high 106 solo tackles—after agreeing to a four-year, $58 million contract extension.
However, the Texans cut Cunningham after 10 games in the 2021 season, citing Houston’s linebacker layoff issue, according to coach David Culley.
Cunningham joined Tennessee as a waiver claim and finished the 2021 season playing for the Titans in the final four games of the regular season and one playoff game.
Cunningham missed two trips to injured reserve in 2022 due to an elbow issue that limited him to six games.
Cunningham, who was a salary-cap casualty in Tennessee, joined the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023 and earned 94 tackles while starting 11 games, including one in the playoffs.
More stories on the NFL
-
Preseason kicking off with 214 players with Alabama football roots on NFL rosters
-
Auburn rookie treating NFL preseason opener like a real game
-
Former Alabama All-American moving stuff in new position for New York Giants
VISIT OURNFL PAGE FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S NFL COVERAGE.
Mark Inabinett works for Alabama Media Group as a sports writer. You may follow him at @AMarkG1 on X.
