Tennessee Titans claim linebacker Zach Cunningham off waivers from Houston Texans

The Tennessee Titans have acquired big-time help on defense.

The Titans claimed inside linebacker Zach Cunningham off waivers from the Houston Texans, the team announced.

Cunningham, 27, signed a four-year extension with the Texans worth $58 million in the 2020 offseason that included $23.5 million fully guaranteed. But he was waived by Houston on Wednesday after having disciplinary issues with the franchise.

The Texans benched Cunningham for violating team rules twice. He was suspended for the Texans' Week 13 loss to the Colts because he was late to his scheduled COVID-19 test, and he was benched in the first quarter of Week 2 vs. the Browns for recurring tardiness.

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Cunningham brings much-needed depth at inside linebacker for the Titans. Rashaan Evans has missed five straight games, David Long Jr. has missed three straight games and third-round rookie Monty Rice was placed on injured reserve last week.

In 72 games, including 66 starts, Cunningham has 570 tackles (26 for loss), 12 quarterback hits, five forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, 18 passes defended and an interception.

Cunningham also has ties to Nashville. He was a 2017 second-round pick out of Vanderbilt. Titans coach Mike Vrabel and defensive coordinator Shane Bowen worked with Cunningham when he was a rookie with the Texans in 2017. At the time, Vrabel was Houston's defensive coordinator and Bowen was a defensive assistant.

By claiming Cunningham, the Titans are on the hook for his $275,000 base salary for the remainder of the season. He's under contract through 2024.

Ben Arthur covers the Tennessee Titans for The USA TODAY Network. Contact him at barthur@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @benyarthur.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans claim Zach Cunningham off waivers from Houston Texans