Cade Cunningham walking into Ford Field as the Detroit Lions took on the Dallas Cowboys didn’t feel like a headline at first. It was a normal appearance from the Detroit Pistons guard, but once he appeared on the mic with reporters on camera, things changed. What initially seemed like a sense of unity between the Motor City teams quickly changed as he spoke on the broadcast.

“We going to the Super Bowl,” Cunningham said when being asked what he expected the Cowboys to do. “That’s how I feel.”

It must have come as a surprise to many Pistons fans, especially considering the city of Detroit’s sports identity: blue-collar, hard-nosed, physical toughness. Now, when fans expected unity, Cunningham’s response detonated across the city.

Cunningham, to his benefit, was born in Texas and grew up as a Cowboys fan but saw his home team take a huge 44-30 loss against a Lions squad desperate to avoid back-to-back losses for the first time in more than three years.

The Cowboys, who were armed with the league’s top-ranked offense, hoped to ride their three-game streak to yet another win, but went down by as much as 9-27 in the third quarter.

“It seemed like every time we got some momentum, they hit another explosive play,” Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said after the game. “They have a lot of speed, and they can make big plays.”

Afterward, Cunningham appeared on the NFL’s X account and joked, “Y’all know who I’m going for? Maybe not. I ain’t gonna say it on here. Go Pistons.”

Cunningham has also shown love to the Lions before, though. Back in January of last season, before a game against the Portland Trail Blazers, he showed up in a Jameson Williams jersey, then a Lions wide receiver.

The Lions posted him on their X and recruited fans to vote for him to represent the team as an All-Star.

Detroit Pistons Fans Call Out Cade Cunningham’s Loyalty After Cowboys Loss

Social media wasted no time tearing into Cade Cunningham after his bold declaration in favor of the Dallas Cowboys, with many fans questioning both timing and loyalty.

One fan delivered a brutal hit, joking, “The Pistons have a better chance of making the Super Bowl than the Cowboys.”

The comment pointed at Dallas’ history of postseason disappointment in recent years, having not made it to the Conference Championship game since 1995.

Another viewer urged reality over needless hype: “Let’s make the playoffs first bud.” The Cowboys are 6-6-1, and even going lossless from here might not be good enough to win their conference or even a wildcard berth.

Some Detroit loyalists focused on the sting of rooting for the opponent in the home arena. One comment summed it up sharply, reading, “Yikes, pi– the city off huh.”

Some defended Cunningham by pointing to his roots in Texas. “I mean, he is from Arlington,” one observer noted, reminding critics that his fandom for the Cowboys didn’t start last night.

But the loudest pushback demanded respect for the city he represents on a national stage. “YOU PLAY IN DETROIT, REP YO TEAM,” one fan blasted, framing the situation as a violation of hometown pride after a game that proved that the Lions are legit.