Flashback for a moment: Aug. 30, 2020. The population of Houston was trying to both survive the height of the pandemic while simultaneously recover enough from the Kansas City playoff loss the previous January to start another season. On this date, it was announced that Zach Cunningham had received a mega-extension. The deal was 4-years and $58 million dollars for one of the NFL’s blossoming inside linebackers
This was Bill O’Brien’s vision: Cunningham was the modern inside linebacker to captain the defense for years to come and to begin transitioning the defense away from the stewardship of Bernardrick McKinney, who was showing himself to be a liability in coverage. The former 2018 Pro Bowler wouldn’t work against the likes of AFC powerhouses like the Chiefs.
The #Texans and standout linebacker Zach Cunningham have agreed to terms on a huge new extension worth $14.5 million per year in new money average, sources tell me and @TomPelissero. Big payday for a rising star, a deal negotiated by @AthletesFirst led by Kyle McCarthy.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 30, 2020
The 2020 season was, objectively, a disaster for the Texans. The team went 4-12 and the defense was a far bigger mess than the offense. They were bleeding — constantly. However, despite finishing 30th in points allowed and 32nd against the run, Cunningham had still held his worth. No. 41 led the NFL in total tackles with 164 and solo tackles with 106.
Fast forward not even one year later, and barely 16 months from when the contract was signed, and Cunningham has officially been waived by the Houston Texans.
Life comes at you fast.
Coach David Culley cited that, “We have standards, and I did not feel like our standards were met consistently.”
“I feel like I made a decision that was best for our team,” said Culley. “It is not about one individual.”
A sentiment that was clearly supported by Cunningham’s multiple missed games during the 2021 campaign.
Regardless of whether or not there’s truth to the speculation of the linebacker’s behavior within the locker room, this development is the latest in a series of abject failures by the Texans old regime. This decision fails all three lenses whether you support Houston’s current leadership or not.
Objectively: The Texans have opted to eat a $13 million dead cap hit during the 2022 season rather than roster Cunningham. That is a very large number, regardless of whether or not you believe the team should be trying to be competitive in 2021. That money could be going to young players in a historic undrafted free agent class or to attract free agents who will certainly need some encouragement to join the rebuild.
If you support the current ownership, it must be acknowledged that this was a an Easterby contract negotiation. O’Brien said so himself. The root cause of misidentifying talent and overpaying them still plays a deeply intimate roll in how the Texans are run in both their day-to-day operations and the long-term vision.
If you are hypercritical of the Texans, as many fans are cynically becoming, then this is another example of a talented football player acting out and wanting nothing to do with the perceived clown show on Kirby Drive. Defensive coordinator Lovie Smith couldn’t find a way to use one of the best players he inherited from the 2020 roster and it will surprise very few if Cunningham becomes a meaningful contributor when he lands on an NFL roster that knows what they’re doing.
The vision was so simple before the 2020 season. Watson was to serve as the face of the franchise, Cunningham was going to captain the defense, and Laremy Tunsil was going to anchor an offensive line that could allow Watson to thrive. The Watson pillar, regardless of any deniability, has been fallen for months now. Now, the second pillar falls and Cunningham is only serving the Texans’ as a ghost with a monstrous cap punishment for next season.
Don’t ignore that it appears very possible that Tunsil may be on his way out, too. The two-time Pro Bowler had a thumb injury that required surgery, maybe could play through it, and has now gone into the phantom zone of “day to day.”
The foundation has crumbled in Houston and fans have been left with only the ashes of what appeared to be such a promising future. Hope will rise again, as it always does in the NFL when the off-season comes and the draft happens, but it will be hard not to lament how quickly this team fell.