Patriots waive QB/WR Malik Cunningham after signing to roster
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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots waived rookie quarterback/receiver Malik Cunningham on Tuesday, just 10 days after signing him to their active roster from the practice squad.
Cunningham, who starred as a quarterback at Louisville and made the transition to a dual-threat quarterback/receiver role in New England, is a strong candidate to return on the practice squad if he clears waivers.
The Patriots have been juggling their roster in recent weeks because of a run of injuries and in hopes of sparking their offense. They wanted the 6-foot-1, 198-pound Cunningham as part of their game-day roster Oct. 15 against the Las Vegas Raiders.
They could have elevated Cunningham for the game and then reverted him back to the practice squad, per league rules, but instead signed him to a three-year contract. Two other players were elevated from the practice squad for the game, which is the maximum number allowed.
The Patriots made Cunningham the No. 2 quarterback for the 21-17 loss and had a special package of plays for him. While he was the backup quarterback that day, he also added important depth at receiver as the team was without JuJu Smith-Schuster and Demario “Pop” Douglas because of concussions.
Cunningham played six snaps in the game — aligning at quarterback twice and wide receiver four times. He was sacked once and didn’t register any other statistics.
“You put together a package of plays and try not to overload him, and they’re plays within our system, so these aren’t brand new plays,” offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien said days later. “He’s a very bright guy, he does a good job, he knows the plays and he’s gotten better every week.”
The Patriots made Cunningham a healthy scratch in their next game, the 29-25 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, with Bailey Zappe returning as the No. 2 quarterback and Will Grier as the No. 3 emergency option.
Cunningham finished his career at Louisville ranked fourth with 9,664 passing yards and fifth with 70 passing touchdowns in 56 games. He closed his career third in rushing yards with 3,184 and tied the school record with 50 rushing touchdowns.
The Patriots also released veteran defensive end Trey Flowers, who had been designated to return from injured reserve.