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The Baltimore Ravens added depth to their quarterback room on Tuesday, December 12.
The Ravens signed quarterback Malik Cunningham away from the New England Patriots‘ practice squad, according to ESPN’s NFL insider Adam Schefter.
“A Louisville reunion in Baltimore: the Ravens are signing QB Malik Cunningham off the Patriots’ practice squad and on to their roster, Cunningham told ESPN today. Cunningham now will finish the season in Baltimore and go to the playoffs,” Schefter wrote on X (previously Twitter).
Cunningham will reunite with a familiar face, which could have been part of the reason he decided to join the Ravens in the first place. He and Ravens QB Lamar Jackson were both at Louisville together during the 2017 season, according to Schefter.
Jackson and Cunningham are two of Louisville’s most accomplished quarterbacks in program history.
Jackson ranks fifth in passing touchdowns and first in rushing yards, while Cunningham ranks fourth in passing touchdowns and second in rushing yards.
The rookie spoke to ESPN saying, “I wanted to thank Mr. Kraft and Coach Belichick for giving me opportunity to play with the Patriots. I learned a lot from them. I want to be a coach one day, so I would take notes from coach Belichick because he’s one of the greatest of all time.”
Cunningham is only 25 years old and was an electric player in college, so he is a worthwhile flier for the Ravens.
Malik Cunningham Has Had a Whirlwind Start With Patriots
Cunningham went undrafted in the 2023 NFL draft. He was signed by the Patriots following the draft and was given the chance to compete for the backup position.
The Patriots waived the Louisville product in August of 2023 but signed him back to their practice squad on August 30th. New England decided to go with incumbent Mac Jones as the starter and Bailey Zappe as the backup to Jones.
The season has been nothing short of a disaster for the Patriots.
They have been mired in a QB controversy for most of the season, with coach Belichick benching Jones in the midst of multiple games and he permanently made the switch to Zappe prior to their Week 14 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Cunningham was first elevated to the active squad in October for the Patriots. He entered into the game against the Las Vegas Raiders for six snaps.
Furthermore, offensive tackle Trent Brown of the Patriots put up an Instagram after the news of Cunningham leaving was announced, which looked like a shot at the Patriots organization.
“The 33rd Team’s” Ari Meirov posted a screenshot of the post saying, “Go flourish where your talent is respected lil bradda.”
Cunningham told ESPN, “Had great teammates in New England and built relationships that will last a lifetime. But I just feel like this is a good opportunity for me and I’m excited to be a Baltimore Raven.”
Nothing we know of has been reported about bad blood between the QB and the Patriots, but it could be that he and some teammates felt he was being underutilized or not given a shot at all.
Now Cunningham gets a shot to join a playoff roster and gain valuable experience that he would not get remaining on the Patriots’ practice squad.
All-Pro Returner Devin Duvernay Injured in Week 14
According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, “#Ravens All-Pro returner Devin Duvernay suffered a back injury on Sunday and is being placed on Injured Reserve, sources say. It will not require a procedure and he should be good for the playoffs.”
It appears the roster spot that Duvernay vacated was used to sign Cunningham from the Patriots according to Rapoport. However, Duvernay will miss the remaining regular season and is a major loss for the Ravens.
Duvernay is one of the top returners in the league and can change a game with his ability to flip field position at any time. The speed he has combined with his ability to dissect kick coverage has made him a true gamebreaker.
In the meantime, Tylan Wallace will most likely take over return duties. Wallace was the hero in the Week 14 victory against the Los Angeles Rams.
In overtime, he took a punt 76 yards to the house for a walk-off win in relief of the injured Duvernay. Fortunately, there are a few weeks remaining in the regular season for Duvernay to recover and return for the playoffs.
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