Getty It is another roster move for the Patriots and Malik Cunningham.
If there is a player who has come to symbolize the twists, turns and drama of the Patriots roster this season, it is quarterback/receiver/whatever Malik Cunningham, who was waived by the team on Tuesday, October 24.
Last week, the Patriots signed Cunningham off the practice squad and onto the 53-man roster with a standard contract, running three seasons. Coaches heaped praise on the undrafted rookie and projected a bigger role for him in the coming weeks, and perhaps beyond. For an offense that was struggling badly, the prospect of incorporating Cunningham appeared to be an exciting second-half project for 2023.
But after playing a total of six snaps in New England’s loss to the Raiders in Week 6, Cunningham did not hit the field at all in the Week 7 win over Buffalo and was waived.
The good news for Cunningham and the Pats is that the relationship is not necessarily severed altogether. If Cunningham gets through unclaimed off waivers, he could be added back to the practice squad and remain a prospect the team can use. He could still be added to the team from there.
Patriots beat man Marc Daniels noted that late on Tuesday.
“Sounds like Malik Cunningham will head back to the Patriots practice squad, if he doesn’t get claimed,” he wrote on Twitter (X).
Sounds like Malik Cunningham will head back to the Patriots practice squad, if he doesn’t get claimed.
‘It Wasn’t a Throwaway Transaction’
Of course, if Malik Cunningham were to be dragged away from the Patriots off waivers, or if the team simply opts not to bring him back at all, there would be some significant questions about what, exactly, happened. Even a move back to the practice squad is odd, though somewhat understandable because the team has players returning from injured reserve.
But last week, ESPN was claiming that the move on Cunningham was not something to ignore, that Cunningham was about to take on a “significant” role—perhaps even at quarterback.
“It wasn’t a throwaway transaction,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote. “I am told the coaches are discussing ways to work Cunningham into the game plan in a somewhat significant way, possibly as early as this week against Buffalo. The Patriots thought they put forth a better effort Sunday against the Raiders, but they still lost the game and are looking for a lot more from the quarterback position than what Mac Jones is giving them.”
Instead, it was a throwaway transaction. The Patriots returned to a depth chart of Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe and Will Grier. At receiver, the position Cunningham has worked at for much of the year on the practice squad, the team has Tyquan Thornton back from injury, and he is listed behind No. 1 option Juju Smith-Schuster on the team’s depth chart.
Malik Cunningham Seemed to Have Spot on Patriots Roster
Two weeks ago, Patriots coach Bill Belichick seemed reasonably excited about what is next with Cunningham on the roster, who starred as a quarterback at Louisville and drew comparisons to former Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson while he was there.
For the Patriots, one of the challenges with Cunningham appears to be just finding how to get him on the field. And now, finding how to keep him on a 53-man roster that is getting more and more crowded.
“Malik’s really worked hard and made a lot of improvement,” Belichick said 12 days ago. “He never really played in the kicking game at Louisville, so he’s started to show up there, never played receiver – didn’t look very good either, in the spring, but he’s really improved there. He can catch the ball, but just route running and finding zones and things like that. But, it’s come pretty naturally to him.”
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