The Detroit Lions had just welcomed veteran linebacker Zach Cunningham back after a three-week absence due to injury, but his return was short-lived — he’s now expected to miss at least a month, and possibly the remainder of the season.
The team placed Cunningham on injured reserve following a hamstring injury sustained during last week’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Cunningham had only recently recovered from another hamstring issue, and this latest setback now clouds his future for the season.
Lions Lose Key Depth
Cunningham was forced out of Detroit’s 24-9 victory against the conference-leading Buccaneers and did not return after aggravating his hamstring. As Jeff Risdon of USA Today’s Lions Wire highlighted, his absence removes an important special teams contributor and situational defender from the rotation.
“There’s no word yet on whether Cunningham, who’s been a special teams regular and situational linebacker in short-yardage and red zone formations, can return in 2025,” Risdon wrote. “The Lions’ facility remains closed with staff off until next week. The 30-year-old recorded seven tackles and one TFL this season.”
Cunningham signed with Detroit in the offseason, bringing experience and leadership to the linebacker unit. The 30-year-old has logged 106 career appearances and 86 starts, totaling 716 tackles across his career.
He’s seen limited action this season, suiting up in four games and registering seven tackles.
Backups Step Up in the Secondary
The Lions have already dealt with several blows on defense, especially in the secondary, where multiple cornerbacks have gone down with injuries and safety Brian Branch recently served a one-game suspension for an altercation following the loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Detroit fielded what head coach Dan Campbell called its “Who?” secondary against the Buccaneers, holding a strong offense to just nine points.
“I knew we were going to challenge them and push more than last week,” Campbell said via The Associated Press. “That’s a good quarterback and they’ve been playing great football. I was confident, but nine points?”
The Lions leaned on reserves Rock Ya-Sin, Nick Whiteside, Arthur Maulet, Erick Hallett, and Thomas Harper versus Tampa Bay. NFL.com’s Kevin Patra praised the group for playing “with their hair on fire,” noting how their relentless energy left Baker Mayfield rattled.
Campbell credited the backups for answering the call, maintaining composure under pressure, and matching the moment against one of the NFC’s best.
“That’s the expectation here,” Campbell said. “You don’t have to be perfect — just compete and challenge. We’ll support you, and your teammates will too.
“I love that the stage didn’t overwhelm them. That was Harper’s and Hallett’s first start, and they competed hard. That’s a really encouraging sign.”
