Card: Score 2017
Acquired: 2020, Panini Rewards Redemption
See Also: Zach Cunningham

Seeing Zach’s Score 2017 rookie card on Panini’s redemption site for a really great value cinched it for me, so I decided to go ahead and nab this and 2 other autographs from their warehouse.

After a quietly outstanding rookie season in 2017, Zach settled in at RILB, starting 14 games, and posted his first 100+ tackle campaign for the Texans. In Week 10 against the Browns, he picked off Baker Mayfield and returned the pass 38 yards for a TD. He then followed up his banner 2nd season, by finishing first in the AFC in combined tackles in 2019 with 144. Zach continues to fly under the radar but impress nonetheless. As the Texans and their defense fell apart in 2020, Zach led the NFL in tackles with 164 (106 solo), lodging 3 sacks, 2 pass deflections and a forced fumble from LILB. The team has opted to move forward with Cunningham as they convert to a 4-3 defense in 2021 under new defensive coordinator Lovie Smith.