Maybe, in time, Patriots rookie Malik Cunningham will become the team’s starting quarterback. He could have a very important role before then.
Cunningham could potentially become a Taysom Hill-style weapon for the Patriots?
Via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, Cunningham participated in 10 snaps at receiver and 17 at quarterback in the preseason opener. Reiss also notes that, in 2022, only one player had double-digit snaps at both quarterback and some other position.
That was Taysom Hill, who in a Week 8 win over the Raiders took 11 snaps at quarterback and 11 at non-quarterback for the Saints.
The Patriots fit the profile of a team that could send its starting quarterback to the sideline from time to time, since Mac Jones isn’t a short-list franchise quarterback. A Cunningham package would force opposing defenses to prepare for both Jones and Cunningham during the limited hours they have before a given game.
We’ll get our next glimpse of Malik Cunningham on Saturday night, in the state that gave us Richie Cunningham nearly 50 years ago.
