After a rough season opener, the Detroit Lions have picked up back-to-back wins. Detroit will be looking to continue that momentum when they aim for their third straight win against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday and a big reason for the turnaround has been their defensive depth.
The Lions saw their 15-2 season get flushed down the drain when their roster was ravaged by injuries. To fix the problem, Detroit spent its offseason looking to acquire depth and it paid off in some areas including the emergence of edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad.
While the Lions can celebrate some successes, there’s a long way to go. That’s why each injury is concerning including linebacker Zach Cunnningham who was added to the injury report on Thursday and listed as out on the team’s final injury report that dropped on Friday.
Lions Lose ‘Starting Caliber’ LB Zach Cunningham to Hamstring Injury
Cunningham is currently listed as the backup linebacker on the depth chart but has already made his impact after coming over from the Denver Broncos this spring. His stat line of six total tackles and a tackle for loss isn’t going to jump off the page but he drew praise from defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard for what he’s brought to the team in a backup role.
“Kelvin Sheppard says Zach Cunningham is technically LB4 on Lions’ depth chart, but ‘he’s a starting-caliber linebacker in this league,” Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News reported earlier this month.
It’s not easy to impress Sheppard but Cunningham has already done it in a short amount of time. A second round pick by the Houston Texans, Cunningham was a starting linebacker coming out of Vanderbilt, logging 570 total tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and an interception over his first five seasons. But injuries took their toll including an elbow injury with the Tennessee Titans in 2022 and a hamstring injury in 2023, leading him to bounce around over the past couple of years.
Cunningham’s previous history is a bit of a concern but he’s been a solid insurance policy for Jack Campbell. While it’s unknown how long he could be out, it’s a brutal blow for the Lions’ depth even as Campbell appears healthy at the moment. With Malcolm Rodriguez working his way back from injury, the Lions could need Cunningham to return as soon as possible. Even if they won’t need him against the Browns.