New England Patriots Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
By Arthur Weinstein on
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The New England Patriots have moved quarterback Malik Cunningham from their practice squad to their roster, which could indicate a big change is imminent.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Saturday the Patriots have also signed Cunningham to a three-year contract. These moves do not necessarily indicate the Patriots are pulling the plug on embattled starting QB Mac Jones, but they are what you would expect to see if a change were a strong possibility … or already planned.

Jones has been under fire in recent weeks. He’s completed barely 50 percent of his passes in the past three games, with four interceptions and one touchdown. Three of his turnovers have been returned for touchdowns. There’s been plenty of talk this week about Pats coaches and players having lost faith in the third-year quarterback.

Jones is slated to start Sunday’s game at the Las Vegas Raiders, but he will undoubtedly have a short leash given his recent problems. Bailey Zappe would get the nod as the backup. Will Grier is third on the depth chart.

Cunningham would add another option in case of an issue with Zappe and/or Grier.

A former Louisville star who broke or threatened many of Lamar Jackson’s records there, Cunningham went undrafted in the 2023 NFL Draft. He signed with the Patriots as a free agent after the draft, was waived during the preseason, then re-signed to the practice squad. Cunningham can also play wide receiver, which means the roster spot is not entirely wasted on QB depth.

NFL fans universally viewed Cunningham’s status change as a bad omen for Jones.


[Ian Rapoport, NFL Media]

About Arthur Weinstein

Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.

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