One of the biggest questions with the New England Patriots this season has been their strange utilization of rookie Malik Cunningham.
He took snaps at both quarterback and wide receiver during the preseason. In Week 6, ahead of the Patriots’ game against the Las Vegas Raiders, he was elevated to the main roster as the No. 2 quarterback behind Mac Jones. However, he recently claimed he hasn’t taken a single practice rep at quarterback since his preparations for that game.
What in the world is going on? Is Cunningham a quarterback or receiver?
Coach Bill Belichick commented on the Patriots’ strange approach when it comes to Cunningham’s development.
“He’s different than probably anyone else on our roster, so he’s been handled differently,” Belichick told reporters on Wednesday.
Belichick on Malik Cunningham’s QB/WR reps: “He’s different than probably anyone else on our roster, so he’s been handled differently.”
— Zack Cox (@ZackCoxNESN) November 29, 2023
Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien recently talked about how hard it is to play both quarterback and receiver, which begs the question why the Patriots are making Cunningham do both.
It’s hard to put faith in the team’s ability to develop quarterbacks, particularly after the way Mac Jones’ career trajectory crashed and burned in New England.
At this point, Cunningham playing at quarterback feels more like a pipe dream for fans fed up with the same disappointing re-runs of Jones and Bailey Zappe.