Former Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman Korey Cunningham, age 28, was found dead in his residence Thursday, reported RLS Media.
Police and emergency medical services responded to the scene shortly before 3:30 p.m. after reports emerged of an unconscious man at the location.
Upon arrival, officials discovered Cunningham and promptly notified the medical examiner.
Per the report, Cunningham’s death was self-inflicted.
He was drafted in the seventh round by the Cardinals in 2018, starting the final six games of the season.
He was traded before the 2019 season to the New England Patriots, where he spent the last two seasons before two seasons with the New York Giants.
He appeared in a total of 31 games in his career, his only starts coming with Arizona as a rookie.
The Giants released a statement on Friday.
We are saddened to hear of the passing of Korey Cunningham. He was a vital part of the spirit and camaraderie of the locker room. Our thoughts are with Korey’s family, friends and teammates.
Offensive lineman Justin Pugh, teammates with Cunningham in 2018 in Arizona and more recently with the Giants, shared a lovely story about Cunningham.
I was in Arizona when we drafted Korey Cunnigham in 2018. He moved onto the NY Giants and was living in NJ this past year.
Quick story:
We would invite him to the OL dinner every week even though he wasn’t on the team which doesn’t happen…ever. Team dinners are for players on…— Justin Pugh (@JustinPugh) April 26, 2024
“We would invite him to the OL dinner every week even though he wasn’t on the team [on the practice squad] which doesn’t happen…ever,” Pugh wrote on X. “Team dinners are for players on the team only. Except for Korey….solely because he was beloved by all the guys regardless if you knew him or not! He’d tell stories and we’d laugh our asses off all night.
“Today is a sad day but I’ll always remember the good times and the laughs. Everyone who knew Korey Cunningham was better for it. The world lost a great soul.”
Our hearts go out to those who knew Cunningham.
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.