After moving back and forth between the New England Patriots' active roster and practice squad, rookie quarterback Malik Cunningham seized an opportunity to sign to the Baltimore Ravens' active roster earlier this week.
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh was thrilled to sign the versatile player, who took reps at quarterback and wide receiver with New England. With Baltimore now carrying an abnormal amount of quarterbacks on their roster with four, Harbaugh was quick to define Cunningham's role.
"It's definitely different, a unique situation," Harbaugh told the media Thursday. "From a quarterback perspective, it's a future type of move."
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
The Ravens already have their quarterback of the future in Lamar Jackson, who this past April signed a five-year extension that made him the highest-paid player in the NFL at that time, but Cunningham could quickly solidify his role as Jackson's backup. With veteran QBs Tyler Huntley and Josh Johnson on expiring contracts, Harbaugh's statement could mean he believes in Cunningham to be the primary backup for years to come.
"It's going to be really interesting to see how he develops," Harbaugh added of Cunningham. "He's a quarterback, there's no doubt about that. He's here to develop as a quarterback."
It was that same commitment from Harbaugh that sold Cunningham on signing with Baltimore in the first place.
"When he told me that, I was all ears," Cunningham told reporters Thursday. "I was like, 'Yeah, I'm sliding. I'm not going to stay [in New England].'"
MORE PATRIOTS COVERAGE
While Harbaugh told Cunningham that he would be a quarterback, the experienced coach also said that Cunningham would continue to participate in practices in three different roles -- quarterback, wide receiver, and the special teams unit -- similar to what he was already doing with the Patriots.
In a move that left some Patriots players and fans upset, Cunningham also added that he believed he deserved a chance to play.
"A lot of those guys knew I was capable of going out there and making plays and helping the team compete," Cunningham said of his time in New England. "You just have to take it with a grain of salt with the coaching and what the coaches want for the best of the team, which was to put somebody else in. But I knew and my teammates knew I should have had a chance to be out there."
Coming off of an unexpected win against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bailey Zappe has seemingly solidified his role as the starter over Mac Jones for the remainder of the season. The Patriots will host Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs at home on Sunday in a game that could ultimately make or break New England's chances for the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.