The Patriots completely overhauled their quarterback room prior to Tuesday’s roster deadline.
It first started with the Patriots releasing Bailey Zappe. The former fourth-round pick from Western Kentucky struggled in the preseason.
That move led many fans to believe that rookie quarterback Malik Cunningham would make the 53-man roster. That assumption was wrong.
According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, the Patriots have waived Cunningham.
With Cunningham and Zappe gone, Mac Jones is the only quarterback on New England’s 53-man roster
The Patriots have also waived Malik Cunningham, per source. @theathletic
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) August 29, 2023
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick recently complimented Cunningham’s versatility while on “The Greg Hill Show.”
“Malik is a really interesting player. Kid never played receiver before or returned kicks, and he’s done both,” Belichick said. “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.”
At the end of the day, Belichick felt it was best to move on from Cunningham.
It’ll be interesting to see if the Patriots pursue a veteran quarterback like Brian Hoyer, who hasn’t really shown enough promise to be the No. 2 option behind Jimmy Garoppolo in Las Vegas.