Zach Cunningham

Career StatsD

Year	Team	GP	Tkl	Sacks	INT
Career		106	716	6.5	1
2025		4	7	0.0	0
2024		7	4	0.0	0
2023		13	85

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

Zach Cunningham's one-year, $1.3M deal represents a solid value pickup for whichever team signs the veteran linebacker, earning a B CVI grade that reflects smart roster building at the margins. At just $1.3M annually, this contract provides excellent financial flexibility for a player who profiles as a reliable rotational piece with proven NFL experience across multiple systems. The short-term structure is perfectly calibrated for both sides — Cunningham gets a chance to rebuild his market value after a tumultuous few seasons, while the signing team assumes minimal risk with a player who can contribute immediately on special teams and in specific defensive packages. For a rotational linebacker with his resume, this salary sits well below what similar veterans typically command, creating natural upside if he outperforms expectations or injuries create opportunities for expanded snaps. This is the type of low-risk, moderate-reward signing that championship-caliber front offices make to add depth and experience without compromising future cap flexibility.

Performance Analysis

Zach Cunningham is a nine-year veteran linebacker whose second-round pedigree and Pro Bowl-caliber peak make his current free-agent status a sobering story. Earning a D grade this season, Cunningham no longer profiles as a three-down starter in today's NFL. His trajectory over the last three seasons — a C+ in 2023, a troubling F in 2024, and only a marginal recovery to a D+ in 2025 — reflects a player whose best football is likely behind him. The most glaring concern is his tackle production, sitting at just 1.75 tackles per game against an NFL average of 3.80 and an elite benchmark of 7.69. For a linebacker, that gap is disqualifying at the starter level. The one encouraging data point is his tackles-for-loss rate at 0.50 per game, which clears the NFL average of 0.40 and hints that his instincts near the line of scrimmage haven't completely eroded. At his peak in Houston, Cunningham was posting elite tackle numbers and earning legitimate All-Pro consideration — the current version is a shadow of that player. At 31 with nine seasons of wear, Cunningham is a depth signing at best, potentially offering rotational value or a veteran locker-room presence on a contender. Any interested team should view him as a chess piece, not a cornerstone. If his tackle efficiency doesn't rebound sharply, his NFL career may effectively be over by mid-2025.

Current Sentiment

Zach Cunningham enters the 2026 offseason as an unrestricted free agent after his tenure with the Detroit Lions concluded with a stint on injured reserve, dampening any momentum he might have built with the organization. At 30 years old with nine years of NFL experience, Cunningham represents a veteran depth option at linebacker rather than a featured starter, and his modest $1.3M salary in Detroit underscores where the market currently values him. The Lions' front office is actively evaluating linebacker options through the 2026 NFL Combine, signaling that Cunningham is not viewed as a cornerstone piece of their defensive rebuild going forward. Media coverage has been largely transactional — his name appearing on free agent tracking lists and team roster rundowns rather than in any substantive analytical pieces highlighting his value or impact. While his experience and familiarity with NFL systems give him a reasonable chance of securing a depth or rotational role somewhere, the overall perception heading into 2026 is that of a journeyman linebacker fighting for a roster spot rather than a sought-after free agent commodity.