The Tennessee Titans released veteran linebacker Zach Cunningham (elbow) on Wednesday, according to a source. The Titans officially cut him with a failed-physical designation. It comes after Cunningham landed on Injured Reserve twice in 2022, ultimately ending the year on the sidelines with an elbow injury. The 28-year-old only suited up in six games in his first full season in Tennessee, and he finished with 24 tackles (15 solo) and a pass defensed. In addition to Cunningham, the Titans trimmed more fat on Wednesday by releasing veterans Robert Woods, Taylor Lewan and Randy Bullock to get under the 2023 salary cap.
Former Houston Texans linebacker Zach Cunningham was claimed by the Tennessee Titans after being cut recently. Cunningham's fallout with the Texans seemed to do more so with his locker room presence than his on-field performance, however. Although the 26-year-old hasn't played as well as he did last year when he led the league in tackles, he is still an adequate player and will contribute to the Titans defense once he's acclimated. Operating under the assumption that Cunningham doesn't completely transform the Titans' defense, this transaction might make the Titans a slightly more difficult matchup but not much more. For IDP leagues, Cunningham finding a team is obviously a good thing, but there's nothing too noteworthy about his landing spot; he's worth a speculative pickup.
The Houston Texans put linebacker Zach Cunningham on waivers on Tuesday. He made nearly $9 million this year, but his base for the entire season was $900,000, so there is a chance he'll be claimed off the waiver wire. Cunningham didn't play in Week 13 against the Indianapolis Colts due to disciplinary reasons, but before that he was playing ever down on defense for the Texans. The 27-year-old inked a four-year, $58 million contract extension last year and should be plenty valuable to contending teams looking for linebacker help for the stretch run. Cunningham had 67 tackles (32 solo), four tackles for loss and a forced fumble in 10 games for the Texans this year.
The Houston Texans placed linebacker Zach Cunningham and defensive lineman Ross Blacklock on the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Friday, so they will not play in Week 4 against the Buffalo Bills. Cunningham tallied a league-high 164 tackles (106 solo) last season and also added three sacks and four QB hits, putting him firmly in the IDP conversation at the linebacker position. Through three games this year, he has 28 tackles (11 solo) and a pass defensed. Already a huge undergo on the road against Buffalo, the Texans defense is as far off the fantasy radar as it gets. Bills quarterback Josh Allen woke up in Week 3 by throwing for 358 yards and four touchdowns against the Washington Football Team, a much better defense than Houston.
Zach Cunningham Receives Four-Year, $58 Million Extension
The Houston Texans and linebacker Zach Cunningham agreed on a four-year, $58 million deal to keep the 25-year-old with the organization for the foreseeable future. Cunningham started all 16 games last year and made a career-high 142 combined tackles, seven of which were for a loss. In addition to defending two passes, Cunningham also added two sacks and two fumble recoveries. He has a safe floor in leagues where multiple individual defensive players are rostered, but the move should have little effect on the Texans DEF in season-long drafts as the team sits on the periphery of being rostered except in the deepest of formats.
