Whether he’s willing to make real significant changes or not, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick needs to do something to get the team back on track. That could result in one quarterback seeing the field a little bit more.
Speaking to the media on Friday, Belichick indicated that third-string quarterback Malik Cunningham could be in line for more opportunities to play. The preseason dynamo has yet to make his regular season debut but Belichick said he is “definitely trending towards” playing.
“Anybody who keeps improving is eventually probably going to get an opportunity to play,” Belichick said, via ProFootballTalk.
Cunningham was the Patriots’ biggest star of the 2023 preseason but was initially waived from the team during final roster cuts. He was re-signed to the team’s practice squad before the regular season began.
Bill Belichick: Malik Cunningham “definitely trending towards” getting a chance to play. https://t.co/CzjJGI20b1
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) October 13, 2023
The more overarching problem that the Patriots have right now is what to do about quarterback Mac Jones. The former Pro Bowler and Rookie of the Year has pretty clearly regressed or at the very least shown no improvement over last season.
Malik Cunningham may not be the answer that the Patriots are looking for, but he could represent a change of pace, which might be the least that they could use right now.
Will we see Cunningham make his debut soon?