New England Patriots - NESN.com
Malik Cunningham has a new home.
The quarterback-receiver hybrid signed with the Detroit Lions practice squad on Tuesday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The move arrived three weeks after the Baltimore Ravens released Cunningham as part of roster cutdowns.
It’s worth noting that Detroit will visit Baltimore for the Week 3 edition of “Monday Night Football.” So, it’s fair to speculate that the Lions added Cunningham both to pick his brain on the Ravens and have him mimic ultra-mobile quarterback Lamar Jackson during practices.
Cunningham, a star quarterback during his time at Louisville, signed with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent after the 2023 NFL Draft. He largely focused on playing receiver during his first training camp but saw some work at quarterback, particularly during the preseason. Cunningham was released before roster cutdowns but re-signed to New England’s practice squad.
With Mac Jones struggling mightily, Cunningham was promoted to the 53-man roster ahead of Week 6 and even served as the Patriots’ top backup quarterback for a road game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Soon afterward, Cunningham was released before re-signing with the practice squad again. Then, on Dec. 12, the Ravens signed Cunningham off New England’s practice squad to their 53-man roster, where he stayed for the rest of the season.
Cunningham, who spent the entire 2024 campaign on Baltimore’s practice squad, has focused on receiver ever since his Patriots exit. However, his experience at quarterback makes him a uniquely useful practice squad player, something the Lions surely had in mind when signing the 26-year-old.
