Malik Cunningham signs with the Baltimore Ravens, reunites with Lamar Jackson
In his first season in the NFL, QB Malik Cunningham has been moving back and forth between the Patriots’ practice squad and active roster for the duration. Now, per a report on Monday, he will be heading to a new team where he’ll reconnect with a teammate from his collegiate days with the Cardinals.
Per Adam Schefter, the Baltimore Ravens have signed Cunningham off of New England’s practice squad. That puts him in a quarterback room that brings him back together with Lamar Jackson after the two were in a similar position at Louisville back in 2017.
2017 was the season after Jackson won The Heisman Trophy with the Cardinals. He was still top-notch in that campaign, though, with 5,261 total yards, nearly 150 more than his Heisman season. Jackson scored 45 touchdowns overall that year, six shy of what he posted the season prior. He also finished with a better completion rate as he connected on 59.1% of his throws.
As for Cunningham, he redshirted during that season in the first of his six seasons with Louisville. He likely took a few notes from Jackson after arriving as a similar player and the lone quarterback commit in his class as a three-star prospect out of Montgomery, Alabama.
Once Jackson left in the 2018 NFL Draft, that left the quarterback spot to Cunningham to take over during the last five years. In 56 games during that time, he threw for over 9,600 yards and 70 touchdowns on 62.6% completion. He also rushed for an additional 3,100 yards, good for 5.1 per carry. That amounted to an additional 50 touchdowns on the ground.
In Jackson’s final season and Cunningham’s four total as the starter, Louisville won 36 games, including two bowl appearances.
Since then, Jackson has gone on to win NFL MVP and take over as the Ravens starter. He currently has Baltimore in first place in the AFC and AFC North with a record of 10-3. With that mark, they’re also tied for the best record in the entire league with the 49ers, Cowboys, and Eagles.
Meanwhile, in New England, Cunningham has seen little action during a messy season in Foxborough. He has been a part of quite the question mark in their quarterback rotation. The franchise has signed, waived, elevated, and assigned Cunningham over and over again this year.
With a record of 3-10, the Patriots were already eliminated from the playoffs. That means, with this move, Cunningham not only gets to rejoin Jackson but he also will get a chance to win in the postseason in Baltimore.