When Malik Cunningham signed with the Baltimore Ravens off of the New England Patriots' practice squad last week, Trent Brown left a peculiar message on Instagram that left many scratching their heads. The Patriots offensive tackle is standing by it.
Speaking to A to Z Sports' Sophie Weller, Brown double-downed on the sentiment that Cunningham is going to a place where he can “flourish.”
“I mean, probably the most exciting drive we had in that stadium was against Houston in preseason games this season,” Brown told Weller, referring to the touchdown drive Cunningham had against the Texans while playing quarterback. “Like, my guy couldn't even get a red jersey.”
The Patriots mostly played Cunningham at wide receiver during his time in New England even though he was a standout quarterback during his time at Louisville. As he learned to play wide receiver during offseason practices and training camp, Cunningham received limited snaps with the third-string unit at quarterback during training camp and the preseason, but was waived on roster cutdown day.
Cunningham resurfaced with the Patriots a day later, signing to their practice squad. He remained on the practice unit until Week 6, when they signed him to the active roster to backup Mac Jones for their game against the Las Vegas Raiders. He only received two snaps at quarterback in that game before reverting back to the practice squad. He got a pair of call-ups to the active roster in the Patriots's Week 13 and 14 games, backing up Bailey Zappe, but didn't play in either.
Via Instagram, Trent Brown says farewell to Malik Cunningham. pic.twitter.com/gczCktDzzy
— Christopher Price (@cpriceglobe) December 12, 2023
Even though the Patriots had major problems at quarterback all season, offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien insisted that Cunningham was mostly getting snaps at wide receiver during practice. That was a problem with players on the team, according to Brown.
“Absolutely,” Brown said when asked if he thought Cunningham deserved more chances to play. “Everybody on the team did. Everybody.”
Patriots' Trent Brown is hoping for the best for Malik Cunningham with the Ravens
Now with the Ravens, Cunningham is reunited with his former college teammate, Lamar Jackson. As Baltimore has searched for quarterbacks in the same mold of Jackson since he became its full-time starter in 2019, Brown told Weller that he actually said to Cunningham a few months ago that the Ravens would be a perfect fit for him, saying “It was almost like I saw it coming.”
“I'm sure he's doing well. He's a great athlete. He's a great quarterback,” Brown said. “Wasn't many opportunities he got to actually do it (here), but I definitely saw glimpses of him being a good quarterback. So, I wish him well. I wish him the best of luck. I'm glad he's in a better place.”
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