With the Tennessee Titans entering the offseason over the cap and needing to free up cap space, the team will inevitably make cuts, but could linebacker Zach Cunningham be among them?
Pro Football Focus’ Brad Spielberger thinks so. He believes the Titans should cut Cunningham, a move that would save $10.4 million and incur no dead-cap hit. Here’s his take:
“The Titans brought Cunningham aboard late in the 2021 season after he was released by the Texans and only owed him roughly $400,000 for the remainder of the season as the No. 1 seed looked to make a deep playoff push. Tennessee fell to Cincinnati in the divisional round, and Cunningham’s salary now jumps to $10 million for 2022.
“Tennessee has some work to do on its roster, and paying top dollar to an off-ball linebacker may not be something it can afford.”
If the Titans were to cut Cunningham, who was brought in via waivers last season, they’d have to depend on David Long and 2021 third-round pick Monty Rice as starters on the inside.
While Long has proven himself worthy, the jury is still out on Rice, who is also coming off a serious injury that ended his season after 10 games. As a result, the Titans might be wise to give Rice another season before giving him the keys to the car.
The reality is, the Titans will likely hold on to Cunningham.
Not only was he sensational last season, especially against the run, but his contract isn’t exactly outlandish. In fact, it ranks 13th in the NFL among inside linebackers in terms of his 2022 cap hit.
The Titans have several avenues in which they can free up money with cuts and restructures, but Cunningham shouldn’t be one of them.
As we’ve said many times this offseason, the goal should be to run it back with as much of the same defense as possible after how well it played last season, and that includes Cunningham.
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