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Dec. 9 (UPI) -- The Tennessee Titans claimed former Houston Texans linebacker Zach Cunningham off waivers Thursday, keeping the veteran defender in the AFC South. The Texans waived Cunningham on Wednesday, just days after he was suspended for Houston's Week 13 loss to the division rival Indianapolis Colts. He was disciplined for being late to a scheduled COVID-19 test.
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It marked the second time this season that Cunningham didn't play because of a violation of team rules. He was benched for the first quarter of the Texans' Week 2 matchup against the Cleveland Browns for recurring tardiness.
"We've got standards. Didn't feel like those standards had been met consistently," Texans head coach David Culley said Wednesday. "And I feel like I made a decision that was the best for our team. This is about the team, it's not about any individuals."
The addition of Cunningham fills a void at inside linebacker for the Titans as the team waits for David Long to return from a hamstring injury. Long has been out of the lineup since the Titans' 28-16 win over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 9.
The Titans turned to rookie linebacker Monty Rice while Long was sidelined, but the franchise placed Rice on injured reserve last week. Tennessee also has been without linebacker Rashaan Evans, who was unavailable for the team's past five games due to an ankle injury.
Cunningham, who was a second-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, signed a four-year, $58 million contract extension with the Texans in 2020. The linebacker compiled 67 total tackles, one forced fumble and three passes defensed over 10 games for Houston this season.
