Following Electric Preseason Debut, New England Patriots Giving Malik Cunningham Real Look At QB

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One of the biggest stories of the NFL preseason so far is New England Patriots player Malik Cunningham. I say player because Cunningham converted to wide receiver -- from quarterback -- in order to try and make the team's roster.

Cunningham starred in college at Louisville, throwing for nearly 10,000 yards in his five seasons. He went to the Senior Bowl and impressed everyone there with his abilities. But, many NFL people questioned his ability to play quarterback.

Malik Cunningham of the New England Patriots looks to pass during the fourth quarter during the preseason game against the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium on August 10, 2023 in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

No team drafted him during the 2023 NFL Draft. He entered free agency and the New England Patriots signed him. But, they wanted him to play wide receiver, also thinking that's his best chance to make an impact at the NFL level.

However, Bill Belichick knows that Cunningham is an incredible athlete. So, he decided to give the kid a shot to play quarterback in the team's preseason opener against the Houston Texans. Even though he hardly practiced the position at all with the team.

And, he absolutely electrified the Foxboro crowd with both his rushing and his passing.

It appears that performance encouraged the Patriots coaching staff and Bill Belichick to give Cunningham more opportunities to play quarterback.

The Patriots and Texans squared off Thursday and hadn't practiced since. But they got back on the field on Sunday. And Malik Cunningham got some legitimate reps under center.

Last year, Patriots fans clamored for Bailey Zappe to get reps over incumbent starter Mac Jones. This season, it appears that Cunningham is going to be the object of Patriots' fans desires.

Let the QB competition commence!