Lions add former Jalen Hurts Eagles’ teammate to bolster support for Jared Goff ahead of 2025 NFL season

The Detroit Lions were undoubtedly one of the biggest surprises of last NFL season, but they’re aiming to take things even further in the upcoming campaign. Building a roster capable of meeting those high expectations will be key—and now, quarterback Jared Goff knows he’ll have a new teammate, someone who once lined up alongside Jalen Hurts with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The latest reports confirm a new addition aimed at strengthening Dan Campbell’s defense. Zach Cunningham, who played last season with the Denver Broncos, has agreed to join Detroit and will suit up in Honolulu blue for the upcoming season.

The news was reported by NFL insider Ian Rapoport, who announced the arrival of the talented linebacker to the Lions via his official account on X (formerly Twitter).

“The #Lions have added some veteran LB depth, signing Zach Cunningham, source says. The long-time #Texans standout most recently played for the #Broncos and #Eagles,” the insider reported via @RapSheet.

Zach Cunningham #52 of the Philadelphia Eagles leaves the field after suffering an injury during the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at Lincoln Financial Field on September 14, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The former Vanderbilt standout will be wearing his fifth uniform since entering the league. In addition to his stints with the Eagles and Broncos, he also played for the Houston Texans and the Tennessee Titans.

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The Lions set their sights on a Super Bowl run

DJ Reader was one of the key pieces for the Lions last season, yet the sting of missing out on a Super Bowl still lingers. Despite that, the defensive tackle remains confident about achieving his goal in the upcoming season.

“I’ve had a really, really good career. I’ve been blessed and fortunate to play for a long time, played good ball, played in a Super Bowl, had a good game, just hadn’t won it,” Reader recently said to the press.

“And so that’s really all that matters to me is really just winning one in whatever way and whatever part of the team I could be and whatever help I can do for this team to help win one. That’s my main focus.“