Titans claim Cunningham off waivers from Texans

The Tennessee Titans were awarded former Houston Texans linebacker Zach Cunningham on waivers, the team announced Thursday.

The Texans released Cunningham on Wednesday, even though he was in the first season of a four-year, $58-million contract. Houston had benched the fifth-year pro in Week 13 and cited his failure to meet unspecified standards upon waiving him.

A tackling machine throughout his career, Cunningham had 67 of them in 10 appearances for the Texans this season. He's never had fewer than 90 tackles in a campaign, and he recorded over 100 solo tackles in 2020 for the first time in his career.

Tennessee will inherit the remainder of Cunningham's contract, meaning he's tied to the Titans through the 2024 season.

Cunningham, who turns 27 on Sunday, is scheduled to count for $10.5 million against the salary cap in 2022, but his salary is only guaranteed for injury, according to OverTheCap.