The New England Patriots lost one of their quarterbacks Tuesday.
The Baltimore Ravens are signing Malik Cunningham off the Patriots' practice squad and onto their active roster, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported.
“I wanted to thank Mr Kraft and Coach Belichick for giving me the opportunity to play with the Patriots," Cunningham told ESPN, per Schefter. "I learned a lot from them. I want to be a coach one day, so I would take notes from Coach Belichick because he’s one of the greatest of all time. I had great teammates in New England and built relationships that will last a lifetime. But I just feel like this is a good opportunity for me and I’m excited to be a Baltimore Raven.”
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Several Patriots players had messages of well-wishes for Cunningham on social media, including veteran left tackle Trent Brown, who wrote, "Go flourish where your talent is respected lil bradda."
Cunningham played a variety of roles in New England, including quarterback and wide receiver, since the team signed him as an undrafted free agent in May. The Patriots also gave him a three-year contract extension in October before a Week 6 game versus the Las Vegas Raiders, but he never threw a single pass for the team in the regular season.
Cunningham was waived by the Patriots in late October and was assigned to the practice squad after clearing waivers.
The Patriots were always at risk of losing Cunningham because he was on their practice squad. Cunningham's skill set as a dual-threat quarterback makes him a good fit for the Ravens offense led by Lamar Jackson. Jackson and Cunningham were actually teammates for one season at Louisville in 2017. The Ravens have a 10-3 record and own the AFC's No. 1 seed entering Week 15.
Cunningham's departure leaves Bailey Zappe and Mac Jones on the Patriots' QB depth chart. Will Grier is the lone quarterback left on New England's practice squad.
