The New England Patriots opted to go the unconventional route when choosing who would backup Mac Jones at quarterback last week, playing Malik Cunningham behind their struggling starter. Not only was the undrafted rookie signed to the roster off the practice squad ahead of the matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders, but he also played six snaps in Week 6, supplanting Bailey Zappe and Will Grier on the depth chart.

While it appears unlikely that Cunningham will be the Patriots' starting quarterback any time soon, it looks like we could see more of what he did on Sunday in the near future, ESPN's Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler reported Wednesday.

“The coaches are discussing ways to work Cunningham into the game plan in a somewhat significant way, possibly as early as this week against [the Buffalo Bills],” the ESPN insiders wrote in a recent column. “The Patriots thought they put forth a better effort Sunday against the Raiders, but they still lost the game and are looking for a lot more from the quarterback position than what Mac Jones is giving them.”

Cunningham, who played quarterback at Louisville for five seasons, was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent right after the draft concluded in May, but to play wide receiver. He mostly played at wide receiver during practices in the offseason and training camp, but also got action at quarterback during the preseason. It appeared unlikely that he would be playing quarterback at any point this season as late as last week, when Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien told reporters that Cunningham mostly played wide receiver during practice snaps.

That, of course, changed against the Raiders. Cunningham received snaps at quarterback and wide receiver, initially lining up at quarterback before kicking out wide for Ezekiel Elliott's touchdown in the third quarter.

That seems to be the likely role for Cunningham in the foreseeable future.

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“What Cunningham could give the Pats is a little bit of a different look at the position, mixing in some quarterback runs and moving the pocket to help diversify and expand the passing game,” the ESPN insiders wrote. “Again, this is all still hypothetical at this point, because the Patriots are still not entirely sure what the rookie is capable of doing at the NFL level at this point. Cunningham was active for Sunday's game but played just six snaps. I wouldn't be surprised to see that number go up as New England continues to search for something to spark its dormant offense.”

Bill Belichick won't say if Malik Cunningham will be the Patriots' primary backup QB vs. Bills

Patriots, Bill Belichick, Malik Cunningham

As the Patriots prepare to take on the Bills in Week 7, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was coy when asked if Cunningham will slot above Zappe and Grier on the depth chart again.

“We’ll work our way through the roster situation as we go through the week,” Belichick told reporters on Wednesday. “We’re not going to talk about how we’re going to play the game.”