Ex-NFL lineman Korey Cunningham found dead

Former NFL offensive lineman Korey Cunningham has died at age 28.

The New York Giants, one of three teams he played for in his NFL career, confirmed his death in a statement Friday.

"We are saddened to hear of the passing of Korey Cunningham," the Giants said in a statement Friday morning. "He was a vital part of the spirit and camaraderie of the locker room. Our thoughts are with Korey's family, friends and teammates."

The team did not disclose a cause of death. ESPN reported he was found dead in his Clifton, N.J., home, and a police spokesperson told the network foul play was not suspected "at this time."

Cunningham, who played collegiately at Cincinnati, was a seventh-round draft pick by the Arizona Cardinals in 2018 and was plagued by foot issues throughout his career. He appeared in 31 games with the Cardinals (2018), New England Patriots (2019-20) and Giants (2021-22). The Giants released him last summer.

Former teammate Justin Pugh recalled his time with Cunningham when they were both in Arizona, and shared on X, "Quick story: We would invite him to the OL dinner every week even though he wasn't on the team which doesn't happen...ever. Team dinners are for players on the team only. Except for Korey....solely because he was beloved by all the guys regardless if you knew him or not! He'd tell stories and we'd laugh our asses off all night.

Today is a sad day but I'll always remember the good times and the laughs. Everyone who knew Korey Cunnigham was better for it. The world lost a great soul."