Lions Lose Veteran Linebacker Immediately After He Returns From Injury
The Detroit Lions waited three weeks to get veteran linebacker Zach Cunningham back after a serious injury, but now he will be gone for at least a month — and potentially the entire season.
The team placed Cunningham on injured reserve after suffering a hamstring injury in last week’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Cunningham had just returned from a three-week absence for another hamstring injury, and the latest development will put his season in doubt.
Lions Lose Key Depth
Cunningham had been knocked out of last weekend’s 24-9 win over the conference-leading Buccaneers, ruled out to return with a hamstring injury. As Jeff Risdon of USA Today’s Lions Wire noted, the injury will take a key special teams and situational defender from the roster.
“There is no indication if Cunningham, who plays primarily on special teams but has also worked in short-yardage and red zone packages throughout the season, will be able to return in 2025,” Risdon wrote. “The Lions facility is closed to and staff are off until next week. For the year, the 30-year-old has seven tackles and one TFL.”
Cunningham came to the Lions as a free agent this offseason, adding a veteran presence to the linebacking corps. The 30-year-old has appeared in 106 games with 86 starts in his career, making 716 total tackles.
He had a light role in Detroit this season, appearing in four games with seven total tackles.
Backups Come Through in the Secondary
The Lions have already taken a number of hits to their defense, especially in the secondary where the team has already lost several cornerbacks to injury and had safety Brian Branch serve a one-game suspension for sparking a skirmish at the end of the team’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The team utilized what head coach Dan Campbell called its “Who?” secondary against the Buccaneers, holding the dangerous offense to just nine points.
“I knew we were going to challenge them and do more than we did last week,” Campbell said, via The Associated Press. “But that’s a good quarterback over there, and they’ve been playing good football. I had confidence, but nine points?”
The Lions relied heavily on reserves Rock Ya-Sin, Nick Whiteside, Arthur Maulet, Erick Hallett, and Thomas Harper against the Buccaneers. NFL.com reporter Kevin Patra noted that the collection of backups played “with their hair on fire” against the Buccaneers, taking an aggressive approach that left quarterback Baker Mayfield befuddled.
Campbell said he called on the group to take on an aggressive approach and they delivered, not getting overcome by the challenge of facing one of the NFL’s top teams in primetime.
“That’s what’s expected here,” Campbell said. “I’ve said it before, you get in there, you don’t have to be perfect, you just challenge and you compete, and we will help you and the guys around you will help you.
“I love the fact the game didn’t seem too big for those guys. That was Harper’s and Hallett’s first start. I thought it wasn’t too big for them. They got in there and competed and that’s a great sign.”
Raiders Rookie Zamir White’s Heartbreaking Journey to NFL Breakthrough: A Story of Triumph Over Adversity
In just two weeks of preseason action, Zamir White has gone from an unknown camp body to the
In the opener against the Jets, White’s 67 yards on just seven carries — including a jaw-dropping 39-yard touchdown that broke three tackles — sent shockwaves through the stadium. His speed, power, and relentless drive ignited the
The next week, against the Colts, White did it again. With a similar efficiency and another standout touchdown — this time a
But behind the incredible highlight reels lies a story far more heartbreaking. At just 10 years old, White’s life was shattered when his parents divorced. As they each moved on to start new families, White was left behind, finding refuge with his
In a recent interview, White opened up about his past:
“My parents divorced when I was 10. Both went on to build new families, while I lived a tough but happy life with my grandparents and never saw them again. Now, as I earn my first paycheck, they’ve both returned to congratulate me.
”
Those words carry more weight than any stat line could. For Zamir White, each snap this preseason is not just an opportunity to secure a spot on the roster — it’s a testament to resilience, to the fact that no broken family or forgotten child can prevent someone from rewriting their destiny.
White’s rise is as much about his physical prowess as it is about his emotional strength. After totaling 3,196 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns at Georgia, and excelling as a kick returner, White’s combination of
With the Raiders still assessing their backfield behind Josh Jacobs
As he continues to fight for a spot on the team, his journey from hardship to NFL success is a reminder that perseverance and heart can change a life. For White, this is just the beginning.
