New England Patriots make QB decision after fascinating training camp battle

28 August 2023 , 20:09

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Undrafted signee Malik Cunningham can play both quarterback and wide receiver. (Image: Getty Images)

The New England Patriots released reserve quarterback Trace McSorley on Monday ahead of the NFL deadline to trim their roster to 53 active players. The move leaves the door open for multi-positioned Malik Cunningham to make the squad as a third signal-caller behind Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe.

Head coach Bill Belichick used a Monday radio appearance to praise Cunningham, an undrafted player the Patriots signed in April who can play both quarterback and wide receiver. "Malik is a really interesting player. Kid never played receiver before or returned kicks, and he's done both," Belichick told "The Greg Hill Show."

"As well as playing quarterback. He certainly has some things on his resume. So do other players. We'll see how all that plays out."

But it's far from guaranteed that the ex-Louisville player will make the roster to begin the regular season. New England could roll with just two quarterbacks, Jones and Zappe, and reportedly, they are leaning towards other options at receiver.

Still, Belichick might want to activate Cunningham to keep other teams from having the opportunity to sign him. Practice squad players are eligible to join other organisations as long as they aren't on the 53-man roster.

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In his first NFL pre-season, Cunningham threw passes, ran the ball and made receptions. Outside of trick plays, that kind of versatility is almost unprecedented. In recent memory, only Terrelle Pryor received regular playing time as a quarterback and wide receiver. However, Pryor did those jobs at different points in his career, transitioning to a pass-catching role after his passing skill set proved below par at the NFL level.

"There's a lot of stuff that I still need to work on, but I feel like I put enough good stuff on film to let the coaches make that decision," Cunningham said on his thought process before the roster cut deadline. "It's not my decision. I can only control what I can control. Just keep my head down and keep working.

Malik Cunningham is on the bubble for the 53-man roster, which will be confirmed on Tuesday. (Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

"A lot of things I did good, a lot more things I need to work on as a quarterback, receiver — wherever they put me."

Cunningham mostly played under centre in college, throwing for 9,664 yards and 70 touchdowns with the Cardinals. He caught two passes and frequently made things happen on the ground, surpassing the 1,000-yard rushing mark in 2021. The dual-threat ability could be helpful if he's called into action for New England, as the Patriots carry some concerns along the offensive line that could harm immobile quarterbacks.

As an undrafted player, though, Cunningham can't be choosy when it comes to his role. The NFL active roster minimum salary for rookies is $750,000, compared with $12,000 per week on the practice squad. So, regardless of where Belichick might deploy him, he would be thrilled to survive the cut process this week.

"Nah, I'm a football player," he said. "Whatever they need me to do, I'm gonna do it."

Dan Bernstein