NFL CAREER – Joining the New Orleans practice squad in Week Seven of the 2022 season, Zuniga appeared in one contest for New Orleans and recorded two tackles in a winning effort. Originally a third round draft pick (79th overall) of the New York Jets in 2020, Zuniga has appeared in 12 career games and has recorded ten tackles (six solo), one sack and one forced fumble. He will take advantage of an offseason in the team's strength and conditioning program and full training camp to compete for a roster spot along the club's defensive line in 2023.
CAREER TRANSACTIONS – Signed by the Saints to a reserve/future contract, 1/9/23; Elevated by Saints to active roster (standard), 11/19/22; Signed by the Saints to the practice squad, 10/18/22; Seahawks practice squad contract terminated, 10/12/22; Signed to the Seahawks practice squad, 9/2/22; Waived by the Jets, 8/30/22; Signed to the active roster by the Jets after activation from Practice Squad/Reserve/COVID-19, 1/5/22; Placed by the Jets on Practice Squad/Reserve/COVID-19, 12/25/21; Elevated by the Jets to the active roster (COVID-19 replacement), 11/27/21; Elevated by the Jets to the active roster (standard), 11/4/21; Elevated by the Jets to the active roster (standard), 10/30/21; Signed to the Jets practice squad, 9/2/21; Waived by the Jets, 9/1/21; Activated from Injured Reserve by Jets 10/28/21; Placed by the Jets on Injured Reserve, 9/7/20; Signed by the Jets to a four-year contract, 7/20/20; Selected by the Jets in the third round (79th overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft.
2022 – After spending the preseason with the New York Jets, joining the Seattle Seahawks practice squad for a month and being signed to the New Orleans Saints practice squad in mid-October, appeared in a victory vs. LAR, Nov. 20 and recorded two solo tackles. 2021 – In between stints on Jets practice squad, appeared in three games and recorded three tackles, his first career sack and one forced fumble, with three quarterback pressures, one in each game. 2020 – Limited to eight games after spending the first seven weeks on Injured Reserve for the Jets…Registered five tackles.
COLLEGE – In four seasons at the University of Florida, the last two under the guidance of current Saints Defensive Line Coach Todd Grantham, he posted 118 tackles, 34.5 stops for loss, 18.5 sacks and one blocked extra point attempt in 42 career appearances. In 2019, he played in six contests with five starts before suffering a high ankle sprain and recorded 14 stops, seven stops for loss and three sacks.
PERSONAL – Played basketball until his junior year at Sprayberry (Marietta, Ga.) HS, before getting noticed by SEC schools as a senior in football, where he helped the team improve to 6-4 after going 2-8 the year before...Zuniga's father, Carlos, is a New Orleans native, who is in the Holy Cross High School Athletic Hall of Fame for his accomplishments in basketball, followed by playing basketball at Tulane from 1976-79.
