Will Malik Cunningham Mishandling Haunt New England Patriots?

Hybrid quarterback/receiver Malik Cunningham brought athleticism and potential to the New England Patriots. Will his departure to the Baltimore Ravens haunt a franchise badly in need of both?

FOXBORO — The sudden end of the “Malik Cunningham Project” is already be generating shockwaves throughout the New England Patriots.

Cunningham, the talented hybrid quarterback/receiver, is taking his talents to Charm City by agreeing to join the Baltimore Ravens' 53-man roster. The exciting, yet enigmatic rookie will now join an offense which is considered one of the most productive and potentially-explosive in the NFL. 

The transition should be a comfortable one for Cunningham, who will now act as understudy at quarterback for his former Louisville teammate Lamar Jackson — with who he played one season for the Cardinals in 2017. Though a reunion with his former schoolmate will undoubtedly be welcomed, several of Cunnigham’s now former Patriots teammates have expressed their support for the 25-year-old as he heads to Baltimore — and a spot in the upcoming NFL playoffs.

Bottom line: Yesterday Malik was an afterthought on the practice squad of a 3-10 team. Today he's a member of the active roster on a 10-3 squad.     

Lot of love for Malik Cunningham from his now-former Patriots teammates. pic.twitter.com/VL2hJ5l8YP

— Zack Cox (@zm_cox) December 12, 2023

For the Patriots, however, the question of whether their reluctance to initiate Cunningham into their present, or future plans at quarterback may result in future regret is already being asked. 

Cunningham was originally signed by the Pats as a rookie free agent out of Louisville in May. Despite a relatively quiet offseason program, he made an explosive entrance into New England's collective consciousness by leading the team on a 75-yard scoring drive in the closing moments of their preseason opener against the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium. Cunningham rushed five times for 34 yards, while completing 3 of 4 passes for 19 yards. He impressively remained unfazed by losing his helmet on a tackle by Texans defensive back Jacobi Francis on second-and-13 at the 50. Cunningham bounced back by throwing a bolt to receiver Tre Nixon in the end zone, which slipped through the wideout’s fingers. He capped the drive by evading two defenders on a nine-yard run to give New England’s offense its first touchdown of the preseason.

Following his auspicious debut, Cunningham's production progressively declined throughout the remainder of the preseason. He ended his exhibition slate having completed three of six passes for 19 yards, while catching one pass for -1 yard, and carrying the ball six times for 39 yards and one score. Ultimately, the Louisville product was released during final roster cutdowns and subsequently signed to the Pats practice squad.

Still, Cunningham’s dual threat capabilities made him a valuable scout-team asset  for the Patriots this season. In fact, offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien acknowledged that his mobility and presence both in and out of the pocket have allowed him to impersonate some of the NFL's best hybrid weapons — including New Orleans Saints receiver/quarterback Taysom Hill, to whom Cunningham has drawn comparisons. 

"Malik works very hard," O'Brien said of Cunningham earlier this week. "He does a good job on the practice squad. He's mostly played receiver ... he can do a lot of things for us."

New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien shares his thoughts with rookie hybrid quarterback/receiver Malik Cunningham / Cred: USA Today Sports Images

Depite the Patriots struggles at quarterback, Cunningham remained a scout team stalwart. He served as a game day elevation on three occasions: a pair of losses to the Las Vegas Raiders (Week 6) and Los Angeles Chargers (Week 13) and a Week 14 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Still, Cunningham saw the field for six snaps, logging one sack for a five yard loss against the Raiders.

With his departure, the hope of Cunningham working his 'Malik Magic' to resurrect a nearly lifeless Patriots offense will no longer dance in the heads of Patriots fans. The Pats decision to make the switch from incumbent starter Mac Jones to second-year quarterback Bailey Zappe did not seem to involve adding even a sprinkling of Cunningham’s skill set into the mix. As such, Zappe will remain the starter for the time being, with Jones and veteran Will Grier serving as the team’s reserve options. 

Cunningham's presence — at the very least — theoretically provided the chance for New England to keep opposing defenses guessing as to whether he would be playing the role of quarterback or receiver when in the lineup — opening up the possibility for gadget-type plays which have been known to spark offensive production. Neither Zappe, nor Jones [or even Grier] are able bring that type of potential to an offense which has been in need of improvement for the entirety of the season. 

While Cunningham is unlikely to supplant either Tyler Huntley, or even Josh Johnson as Jackson’s primary backup with the Ravens, coordinator Todd Monken is likely to be pleased with the possibilities the rookie will bring to his offense. Additionally, Cunningham possess both the work ethic and desire to improve to make him a valuable part of their offense heading into the postseason — a trait for which he was recently praised by Patriots coach Bill Belichick.

"Malik’s really worked hard and made a lot of improvement," Belichick told reporters in October. "He never played receiver [at Louisville] – didn’t look very good there in the spring, but he’s really improved. He can catch the ball, but just route running and finding zones and things like that, it’s come pretty naturally to him. He plays a good amount of quarterback. He’s competent there. He’s a smart kid, works hard, and with the opportunities he’s had, he’s shown a lot of improvement."

Belichick's 'Praise' For Patriots' Bailey Zappe: ‘Pretty Consistent’

Whether Cunningham eventually gets the opportunity to provide more than just situational contributions at quarterback for Baltimore this season is still a matter of conjecture. Judging from his current capabilities and capacity to learn, much of Patriots Nation — including his New England teammates are wondering why Cunningham did not get his chance in Foxboro. 

Perhaps accordingly, the “what might have been” chorus is already beginning to reverberate throughout New England — with the Pats brain trust hoping that “Malik Magic” does not become an all-too familiar refrain of “the one that got away.” 

The Patriots will return to the practice field on Wednesday as they begin preparation for their Week 15 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Gillette Stadium. Due to Cunningham’s departure, the Pats will do so while carrying three open spots on their practice squad. 

---